P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge
by Sirius I'm Serious
Summary: Have you ever wondered what a certain pairing in the Phantom Thieves would be like, but it might be rare and therefore hard to find? Well fear not! This challenge incorporates every (human) pairing that you can think of. Some are serious and some are funny, but all of them include romance. Sounds great, right? Then let the shipping begin!
1. Akira x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Welcome to the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge! This was something started on Tumblr (at least, that's where I found it), so if you want to see more amazing works, please go there and search for_ _ **p5roundrobin**_ _. I'm starting this somewhat late, so I'm sure there are plenty of great one-shots there now!_

 _The rules are simple:_

 _1\. The author must write a one-shot (not a multi-chapter piece) for every possible pairing of humans in the Phantom Thieves (sorry, Mona!) This means ALL pairings, not just the popular ones. So, each author has to write 28 one-shots._

 _2\. The one-shots must be romantic in nature._

 _3\. The author has his/her choice to write a bonus PolyThieves (all human characters are romantically involved with each other) chapter (which I have opted to do, because why not?)_

 _Pretty simple, if somewhat exhausting. I encourage anyone who is a fan of fanfiction and Persona 5 to do this yourself – maybe even with other games in the Persona series! There is no official way to release stories, but many authors have decided to release one per day, which is what I have chosen to do as well._

 _Just so you know: I will be out of town on September 22, so I will be skipping that day, meaning that (if I calculated this correctly), this challenge should end on my birthday, October 15. I will be posting my favorite one-shot then (not necessarily my favorite pairing)._

 _The official list is on Tumblr, but authors do not have to write them in that order, though many choose to. What I have done is used a random number generator, which was pretty fun!_

 _Now, without further ado, here is the first story!_

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P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Trust:

Akira x Haru

-Haru-

Trust.

It was a short word, but far from a simple one.

Of course, the meaning of the word was straightforward, and one that most people generally agreed upon. The dictionary defined it as the "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something." But how that trust was displayed depended on the someone or something in question.

Akira was reliable, no question about that. He displayed this through his leadership abilities in coordinating the Phantom Thieves, but he also showed it when Haru truly needed it outside of their work in the cognitive world.

She relied on him when she needed to decide the future of Okumura Foods. It was a crushing responsibility for one person, let alone someone who had just become a legal adult and had suffered the trauma of essentially becoming an orphan. At times she feared she came on too strong, but through it all, Akira was there.

And in terms of truth, well… the very existence of the Phantom Thieves was to expose the true corruption of society, and by leading a team whose goal was truth and justice… well, that basically spoke for itself.

Ability was something that Akira demonstrated in abundance. He was intelligent, charming, brave, caring, and poised. It almost seemed inhuman, like he had lived several lifetimes in order to perfect these skills.

Finally, strength was honestly one of the first things that Haru noticed about the boy. He had helped her lift some bags of fertilizer when she was struggling, and she couldn't help but comment on it.

She wondered if that moment was when this all started.

Regardless, Akira embodied everything that trust exemplified and more. She had always wanted someone to trust, but she had never really had someone like that in her life. Her grandfather had passed when she was still very young. She had trusted her father initially, but when his mind had become warped with greed and political opportunity, she found she could no longer trust that he had her best interests at heart. And Sugimura… well, she didn't like to think about that man more than she had to.

She knew she could trust everyone in the Phantom Thieves, whether it was Ryuji and his physical toughness, or Makoto and her wisdom, or Yusuke and his ability to see the beauty in everything, but Akira was honestly the most breathtaking.

The one thing that she admired most about this trust was that he displayed it in a subtle way. He never showed off, save when he would finish off a group of enemies in palaces or in Mementos (though everyone did that, so it was not unusual). He acted instead of boasting. He displayed trust so thoroughly that those around him couldn't help but give it in return.

So when he had confessed his feelings toward Haru, she couldn't accept quickly enough. All of the thoughts and feelings that she had towards him… were shared by him towards _her_. It made Haru's heart swell with pride to know that she elicited vibes of trust.

In the end, trust was everything in a world that was full of dishonesty and deceit, and it was not something to be given lightly. But Akira had proved himself time and time again, and Haru wanted to do the same for him.

To be the partner that he could trust.

* * *

 _Here is the first part – I hope that you enjoyed! Let me know if you picked up on the reference to New Game +, since (unfortunately) if you want to romance Haru, you basically have to do that or ignore everyone else in the game since she joins so late. See you tomorrow!_


	2. Ryuji x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Another story that includes Haru. I swear I didn't plan to have two stories with her in a row – the random number generator decides it all!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

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P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

A Real Hero:

Ryuji x Haru

-Ryuji-

He'd never met a girl quite like her.

Haru Okumura.

She was a polite, gentle kind of girl. Someone you felt would never be able to harm a single living creature. The type of person who was sheltered and didn't quite understand life's harsh realities. A person you might need to protect.

Ryuji had thought all of these things and more. And boy had he been wrong.

Though Haru was sheltered, she was far from ignorant of how horrible life could be. She _had_ been engaged to a deplorable human being. To be honest, he was such a lowlife and pathetic excuse for a person that Ryuji couldn't even be bothered to remember the guy's name.

Luckily, the Phantom Thieves had rescued her from her fate. But that was about the only rescuing that she had needed.

Ryuji had thought it was cute how she'd gone on and on about super heroines, and he reassured her about it being okay when she had expressed embarrassment about her obsession.

But when she had truly awoken to her Persona, he was utterly shocked. It had the usual intensity that an awakening produced, but she'd been… so dramatic, almost to the point of ridiculousness.

But then, her Persona's dress had opened up to reveal a machine gun, and he'd almost fallen over in shock. His other friends had reacted similarly. And that was only the beginning.

Following that, Haru produced an axe and began swinging it around wildly, hitting everything within her reach. Ryuji had honestly been a little scared to fight next to her, worried she would lose control and cleave his head off.

To top that off, her gun was a freaking _grenade launcher_! Everything about Haru was total insanity, and Ryuji quickly found himself falling. Not stumbling in shock, as he had done, but falling head over heels.

In love.

He loved everything about her. The kind and gentle side that showed itself in quiet moments on the school rooftop as he helped her tend to her garden. He'd lift bags upon bags of fertilizer, and Haru would always compliment him, saying he was the strongest person she knew. She always knew how to feed into his ego, and he _really_ liked that. He had even let her feel his muscles a few times as he flexed, grinning at the look of astonishment on her face.

He also loved when she was at her most ferocious. She'd cut down enemies left and right, with a somewhat sadistic smile on her face. It was… hard to explain. He felt a shiver of terror when these things happened… but that shiver also exhilarated him. He supposed it was the intense passion she put into what she did that attracted him so.

He'd been made fun of in the past for expressing astonishment and almost giddiness at Makoto's awakening, and he'd confided in Akira that he'd felt similarly when Ann had transformed. According to Akira, Ryuji seemed to have a thing for strong, dominant women.

That had bothered him at first, but then he realized, that wasn't a bad thing. He was just as tough, and it wasn't like the girls in the Phantom Thieves would ever abuse or take advantage of the boys – a few of the girls themselves had known that powerlessness, and they would never want to create an environment like that.

So it wasn't an inherently unequal power dynamic, but more so a behavior that brought out the best of Ryuji's feelings. He absolutely loved a girl with confidence, who could be on equal footing with him and could knock him down a peg if necessary. And he knew he could do the same with her, and she'd be able to take it, and even retaliate.

When Haru would attack an enemy with a particularly breath-taking move, she'd sometimes turn towards Ryuji and give him a wink, dipping her hat down slightly. He'd grin back at her, and if he was close enough, would give her a rough pat on the shoulder to congratulate her.

He loved how Haru was such a complex person. She'd smile and encourage him to do his best, and then she would turn around and shoot down an enemy without a second thought. The two sides of the girl intoxicated him, and he wanted to keep watching her, to see what she would do next.

Eventually, he'd find a way to tell her how he felt. But right now, they could kick ass and let their weapons and skills speak for themselves.

She was one hell of a girl, and Ryuji knew she could be just like those heroines she watched on the television as a child.

She already was.

* * *

 _Hey! How did you all like round two? As these are one-shots, some are gonna be short like this, while others might be somewhat longer. Also, I'm going to be trying out different styles as I write these stories, so you will have that to look forward to as well. Hopefully they'll all still be entertaining to read! See you tomorrow!_


	3. Futaba x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _I know both of these characters are HUGELY popular in the fandom, so I definitely put a little bit more effort into this one to make sure that it's fantastic! It's a little longer to make up for the first two being rather short._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

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P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Movie Date:

Futaba x Goro

-Phantom Thieves-

"The movies?"

"Like a date?"

"W-what do you mean _date_?"

"Futaba and… Akechi?"

An explosion of disbelief was currently rocking the Phantom Thieves hideout. Every person was shocked to learn about what was going to be happening later today.

Akira nodded, looking a little stunned. "I'm not sure. All that I know is that Futaba and Akechi will be going to the movies later today. Together. With each other."

"What the hell, man?" Ryuji shouted, standing up from the chair that he had been leaning in. "She knows as much as we do that the guy's sketchy as hell! What is she _thinking_?"

"Clearly there must be more to the story than this," Yusuke pondered, rubbing his chin. "Futaba is an intelligent individual, and we've expressed our concerns to her."

"Perhaps she's trying to extract information from him?" Makoto asked hopefully, tapping one of her textbooks nervously on her leg.

"Yeah! That's exactly what's going on!" Ann nodded her head furiously. Morgana was currently sitting in her lap, and he shook his head dejectedly.

Haru took notice. "Mona. What do you mean by that? Do you know something that we don't?" All heads turned towards the cat advisor.

He lifted a paw. "Futaba was talking with me a few minutes ago. She seemed… really pumped. Like she couldn't wait for this to happen."

There was a full minute of silence at his words. Everyone in the group fidgeted uncomfortably. Futaba couldn't _really_ be going on a romantic excursion with Akechi… could she?

"Well, I don't like it!" Ryuji raged, punching the table and causing it to shutter. Yusuke's snacks fell to the ground, which caused the artist to look at the blonde in annoyance. Ryuji shrugged sheepishly.

"Whether we like it or not doesn't matter. This is clearly happening," Makoto reasoned, trying to calm everyone down, though she felt a bit of anger herself. "I suggest that we obtain more information before jumping to conclusions."

"Hm. When does Futaba leave for her potential date, Akira?" Yusuke asked, turning to look at their leader, as did everyone else.

The boy was currently staring off into space, clearly distracted. When he did not respond, Haru tapped his shoulder.

"Akira? Did you hear Yusuke?" She looked at him with concern.

Akira started. "I… uh… Sorry, Yusuke. What did you say?"

The group looked at each other. They had never seen their leader so out of it before. Apparently, this was affecting him a great deal.

Yusuke cleared his throat. "Do you know when Futaba is to depart for the theater?"

Akira nodded. "She told me that the movie starts at noon, and that they wanted to meet each other 15 minutes before it started."

Ann looked at her phone. "Got it. So that means we have about 10 minutes to figure out what's going on."

Haru moved her hand from Akira's shoulder to rub his back with soothing motions. "But before that, what's wrong, Akira? You seem… deeply troubled by this."

The group waited to hear his response.

Eventually, Akira sighed. Sitting up a little straighter, he murmured, "It's… well… I think I'm just bothered that Futaba is going out with someone."

Ryuji winked, trying to break some tension. "Gotcha. You jealous of Akechi, dude?" Ann slapped the back of his head, which caused him to sputter and shove her back.

Akira barely noticed their squabble. "No, not really. I just…. want to make sure that she's safe. I know she knows what she's doing but… I don't know. I can't help but worry." He scratched the back of his head. "I know that doesn't really help, but I'm not really sure what's going on myself."

Makoto shook her head gently. "Don't say that. You know the best out of all of us that emotions are complicated, but they all deserve to be felt. Besides," she sighed herself. "I think I understand what's going on."

Yusuke, Ann, Haru, and Morgana nodded. Ryuji looked at them with confusion. "How's that?"

Makoto continued gently. "She's your family."

Akira flinched. True, they were close, but could they really be considered that? He had always felt somewhat intrusive, like he had butted into the family dynamic between Futaba and Sojiro, but he loved being able to be a part of their relationship. He had never really been close with his parents, and Sojiro really did feel like a father to him. Which meant that Futaba was…

"Like a little sister?" Ryuji finished Akira's thought for him. The blonde looked hard at the leader of thee Phantom Thieves. "Yeah! I could totally see that! Yo, that's adorable!"

Haru giggled. "I agree. In truth, I feel that way about Futaba sometimes myself."

Ann, Makoto, and Yusuke nodded. "Agreed."

"And I think that's why you're all so bothered by this." Everyone snapped their heads to look at Morgana. "True, Akechi's a little scummy… but you guys don't want your little sister going out on a date with someone. You want to protect her!"

The group stared, wide-eyed. Could that be the case?

Makoto nodded. "I think I see your point. Perhaps we all want to be the protective older sibling to her."

"That's… interesting." Ann chuckled nervously, looking at everyone else's somewhat apprehensive expressions.

"Well then. I think that decides it. We must learn more about this situation in order to protect Futaba!" Yusuke declared. "We must be her responsible older brothers and sisters!"

"Dude…"

Suddenly, the group heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They all quieted down at once, wondering who was approaching. Even though they weren't talking about official Phantom Thieves business, it was a habit to immediately shut down a conversation when an outsider was within potential earshot.

Sojiro's head popped up, looking over the group with mild annoyance. "Keep it down up here, you kids. You're gonna scare away all of my customers"

The group sheepishly apologized. But Akira used this as an opportunity. "Sojiro! Has Futaba left for the movies yet?"

Sojiro nodded. "She did. She seemed pretty excited. You missed her by about two minutes."

Akira turned towards his friends, his face becoming serious. The members of the Phantom Thieves felt the shift in the atmosphere. Akira had just become Joker, and they were ready to follow his orders.

"Let's go, everyone!" Akira commanded. Everyone who wasn't already standing stood up immediately.

"Hey! W-what the –?" Sojiro was suddenly shoved out of the way as the group of teens suddenly surged downstairs. Rubbing the back of his head, he muttered, "Those damn kids…"

Luckily, the theater was the one close to Leblanc, so the group did not have far to travel. Their serious demeanor attracted a few stares, but it also caused everyone to stay out of their way.

After a few minutes, they approached the ticket counter. It was then they realized that they wouldn't be able to storm the movie theater like a palace – they would have to pay for entry.

Haru stepped forward. "Leave this to me, everyone!" She flashed a credit card towards the young woman at the counter. "Six tickets, please!"

Once the large group had taken care of their tickets, they made their way to the theater that held the movie Futaba would be seeing with Akechi.

They hadn't even stopped for concessions, although Ryuji and Yusuke had attempted to. The girls and Akira had to physically drag them away from the counter.

They finally approached the theater, and they quietly snuck inside. They scanned the area.

"Man, I wish we had Oracle for this one," Ryuji muttered, trying to see through the darkened theater.

"I agree. Hm… oh! There she is!" Makoto kept her voice low but excited as she pointed through the crowd. Everyone's head snapped over.

Towards the front of the theater, they could see Futaba sitting by herself, skimming through her phone.

"The bastard abandoned her! I'll kill him myself!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"I'll help," Ann growled.

"Everyone, please calm down!" Haru waved her arms frantically. "Look, Akechi is right over there, see?"

The group directed their gaze towards the stairs, where Akechi was currently descending, with a large bowl of popcorn in his grasp. He sat down next to Futaba, who immediately began to take some.

"Oh. Well then… never mind." Ryuji lowered his hands back down to his sides, and Ann lost her threatening posture.

"Anyway, the film is about to begin. We should find our seats," Yusuke pointed out.

Akira nodded. "Agreed. We'll sit a few rows back behind them. That way, we can watch them, but they won't be able to hear or see us."

Morgana, who was currently in the boy's bag, nodded. "Good thinking, Joker."

The group stealthily walked down to the aisle that was three rows back from the couple. They took their seats, glaring daggers at Akechi's back.

"If he lays one hand on her, he's dead!" Ryuji muttered.

"I might have to have Sis start a comprehensive investigation on him," Makoto added.

"Or I might have to miss my target and accidently… shoot him with my grenade launcher the next time we're in a palace." Haru's eyes gleamed.

"Or I might have to slip him something in his coffee the next time he orders one." Akira leaned forward in his chair, not blinking.

"All of these ideas sound perfect to me. Perhaps I could illustrate the result." Yusuke was doing his finger-framing, and this time, he was focusing on Akechi.

Meanwhile, Futaba and Akechi were currently munching on some popcorn, watching the opening advertisements.

Futaba giggled. "I wonder if they know that we can hear everything that they're saying."

Akechi chuckled. "Most definitely not. Though I must say, I am somewhat fearful for my life after hearing all of this."

"Aw don't worry! They're just worried we're on a date."

"Ah I see. So _that's_ how you incorporated my reward into your reward?"

"Exactamundo! You pay for the outing, and I make them squirm. But next time, we won't end things in a tie!"

"Oh. You seem to have a lot of confidence for someone who was almost beaten at her favorite video game."

"You are so on. We're totally having a rematch after this!"

"Perhaps we can advertise it to your group as… Netflix and Chill?"

"You are so evil, Akechi."

* * *

 _So this was technically not a "true" romance one-shot, but there were elements of it because they thought she was on a date. Kind of flipping the idea of this challenge on its head. By the way, I totally imagine Last Surprise starting up once Akira enters Joker mode. See you tomorrow!_


	4. Akira x Ryuji

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _The first male x male pairing. I will admit that I tend to struggle a little more with these, so bear with me – hopefully it's still great!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

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P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Workout:

Akira x Ryuji

-Ryuji-

"Alright! Twenty-five of each, and then we switch off?"

"But dude! Pull-ups are _way_ harder to do than sit-ups!"

"But I'll be hanging from the ceiling as well."

"…Yeah. Good point."

"But if it makes you feel better, I'll do fifty."

Akira and Ryuji were sitting on the floor in the former's room. The Phantom Thieves had spent the day in Mementos, and so the group was currently resting until tomorrow. Each member had gone their separate ways, wanting to rest up for whatever they would do the next day.

But this didn't stop the two best friends from enjoying each other's company. After all, they had only just recently began dating, and they wanted to spend as much time together as possible.

So, after throwing Morgana downstairs (well… that's what Ryuji had wanted to do – in reality, they merely picked him up and put him down on one of the barstools below) and placing a stack of chairs to prevent him from coming back upstairs to nag Akira to go to sleep, the two talked about what they should do.

At first, they merely talked. They discussed a variety of things, from their progress on their current palace, to what they thought they would have to do at school tomorrow. Eventually, their conversation turned towards what it almost always ended up turning towards.

Training.

Akira had laughed, saying that things really hadn't changed since they started seeing each other in a romantic sense. But that was ultimately a good thing, in the end. It meant that they didn't have to change one bit to be able to be a couple.

Ryuji insisted that they had to train even more so now that they were dating. They had to look good in front of each other, obviously. Akira had laughed at that as well.

The plan was to have Akira do sit-ups from the wooden beam on the ceiling, while Ryuji would use a different one to perform pull-ups. The blonde had voiced his concerns about it holding their weight, but Akira assured him that it would hold.

"Then let's get started, man!" Ryuji jumped up and held a hand out to the other boy.

"Of course." Akira took his hand and stood. While keeping hold, he bent his head slightly so that he could kiss the back of Ryuji's hand, squeezing slightly.

"A-Akira…" Ryuji blushed, using his free hand to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Akira smirked, knowing that the blonde would be able to feel it. "Am I not allowed to kiss my boyfriend?" He looked up at the boy, pouting slightly.

"Dude! Stop that! 'Course you are. I just… shut up!" Ryuji pulled his hand free from Akira's grasp and smacked the bespectacled boy on the back of his head.

"Are you embarrassed, Ryuji?"

"I am _not_!"

Akira chuckled, which made Ryuji even angrier. Knowing he couldn't win an argument against the leader of the Phantom Thieves (especially when it came to teasing him), Ryuji shook his head and stepped onto Akira's bed. Grabbing hold of a ceiling beam, he inched his way down so that he could swing an arm and take hold of another beam, freeing up the closer one to his boyfriend.

"There ya go, Akira! You get the closer beam." He beamed and winked at Akira, feeling an adrenaline rush from his previous exertion.

Akira smiled. "Thank you, Ryuji. I appreciate it." Akira copied Ryuji's previous movements, and then swung his legs upward so that he could sit on the beam. Making himself comfortable, he hooked his legs around the beam and lowered his torso down, ready to sit back up for his exercises.

"Ready when you are," Ryuji exclaimed, readying himself.

"Alright. Go!"

The two began to furiously pump their core and arms respectively. There was an assortment of groans, and a mildly embarrassing thought occurred to Ryuji. What if Morgana heard this and thought they were…?

Ryuji shook his head, using the fresh wave of frustration to propel him even faster. His arms felt like they were on fire, and he was completely in the zone.

After a minute or so, Akira called out that they had finished. The two paused and panted heavily, attempting to regain their breath.

"Nice… job, Ryuji…" Akira gasped, sitting hunched over and wiping sweat from his brow.

"Same… to you…" Ryuji had dropped to the floor, and was currently rubbing the feeling back into his arms.

The two took a few more moments to catch their breath.

Eventually, Akira dropped to the ground as well and sat behind Ryuji. He reached out and gripped his shoulders, using the pads of his thumbs to vigorously roll out the knots that had formed.

"Aaah… that feels great!" Ryuji murmured, leaning back into the other boy.

"I'm glad." Akira leaned forward and replaced his hands with his lips, kissing away the tension.

"So… are we still gonna switch?" Ryuji asked after a few moments.

Akira didn't answer. He merely continued to kiss the other boy's shoulders. The kisses themselves were slowly transitioning to Ryuji's neck, which caused him to shudder slightly.

"A-Akira…?"

Ryuji turned his head to look at the black-haired boy. Akira looked at Ryuji, with his glasses gleaming in a mischievous sort of way. "Ryuji."

"Y-yeah?"

"I was thinking… we could engage in a… _different_ kind of workout." He lifted his face to kiss Ryuji's cheek, which was burning a bright red after hearing that sentence. "How does that sound to you?"

"Honestly… I'd really like that, Akira." Embarrassed but giddy, Ryuji turned his head to kiss the other boy on the lips. The two stayed like this for a moment before pulling away.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

 _There you have it! What kind of workout will they do? Well, that depends on your imagination, I guess. See you tomorrow!_


	5. Makoto x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _And we're back to Goro. He must be the number generator's favorite Phantom Thief!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

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P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Battle of Wits:

Makoto x Goro

Intelligence.

That was something that was always an important quality to Makoto, probably because those closest to her exemplified it.

Her father had been extremely sharp, and had always known just what to say to obtain a confession from a criminal, or to deescalate a highly tense situation. His guidance was always pertinent and helpful, and she had (and continued to) miss it terribly when he had passed.

Her sister was similar, albeit a little stricter. She had become a prosecutor in one of the top agencies in Japan at a relatively young age. Makoto could tell that their living situation put a massive strain on her sister (especially when Sae would have outbursts here and there), but she was able to continue it, and even thrive despite it.

Makoto knew that she was intelligent as well, as humble as that sounded. Her time in the Phantom Thieves showed that there was still much worldly wisdom that she did not understand, but in terms of academics or strategy, she was second to none. But soon, even that thought proved to be naive.

There was at least one person who matched her intelligence, and quite possibly, even surpassed it.

Goro Akechi.

The young detective was clearly smart – not many people would disagree with that. But he was also cunning in a more sinister sense.

When the Culture Festival had occurred, Makoto had assured the rest of the Phantom Thieves that she would be able to squeeze information out of him, but he had ended up completely turning the tables on her, and had, quite honestly, made her look foolish. He had been in complete control of the situation, and through it all, had maintained his pleasant persona.

It was interesting to say the least.

Later, when Makoto had confessed that she was jealous of all of the time that he had spent with her sister, many would have believed that she meant that she wanted to be able to spend more time with her sister, and that Goro prevented her from doing so.

In reality, it was actually the opposite.

She loved her sister with all of her heart, but she still found herself upset at her, simply because she was able to spend a great deal of her time with the detective prince.

She loved the surge of excitement that went through her when the two would engage in a battle of wits outside of Phantom Thieves business. They would play chess, quiz each other for tests, and even just have spirited debates on the topic of the day. She would feel terribly disheartened when she would lose or be forced to forfeit, but that made her all the more determined to best him. When she did, it was like the most potent drug.

In all honesty, had he not been responsible for the death of Haru's father or the murder attempt of Akira, she probably would've found it in herself to forgive him and have him join their ranks. Unfortunately, he could not undo what had already been done.

Despite that, he was intelligent and poised, two qualities that were, regrettably, hard to find in society. He would have been an asset to any team that was determined to right wrongs that were cleverly concealed. Of course, Makoto and the rest of the Phantom Thieves could do this themselves, but it wouldn't have hurt to have him on their side.

For Makoto, logic and romance were intertwined, and she could not possibly have one without the other. And as she thought about her feelings for the boy, she realized that these things were intertwined with him as well.

Sadly, this relationship was destined never to be. Makoto wasn't even sure if he felt that way about her. But even if he didn't, she would be okay. Goro had taught her much about the world and about love, and she would be forever grateful for that.

It would be knowledge that she would hold onto for the rest of her life. Always.

* * *

 _A love between two smart, capable individuals! I'll be honest, this took a while for me to write, mostly because they're both so intelligent! I hope I did them justice, though._

 _Funnily enough, Makoto could also be attracted to Goro because he too is involved in law enforcement, so there's that! But anyway, I hope that you enjoyed. See you tomorrow!_


	6. Akira x Yusuke

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Finally time for a food-centric chapter! I hope it's close to a mealtime in whatever time zone you live in._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

The Big Bang… Burger (Get your minds out of the gutter!):

Akira x Yusuke

-Akira-

It was finally time.

Akira and Yusuke had planned this day for weeks, and they had been preparing themselves for it accordingly.

It wasn't raiding a palace, or passing a test… it was something much more "important" than those things.

This was the Big Bang Burger Challenge.

Both boys had attempted it in the past, and after a few times, they had both ultimately passed the final challenge: consuming the Cosmic Tower Burger and becoming a Captain. They'd had their pictures taken and displayed on a wall that depicted those who had attained this legendary status, and the scary part was that they had both accomplished this feat multiple times.

But that begged the questioned – what more could they do? How much farther could they go? It was no longer a challenge, but a gateway to something… greater.

So, the two boys had decided that they would create their own challenge.

They agreed that it would be impossible to consume more food – though it was doable for them to beat the original challenge (which is what both did several times in the course of their training), it still left their stomachs aching afterwards. Therefore, if quantity was not the solution, then it would have to be speed.

The original challenge stated that one had to eat the Cosmic Tower Burger in thirty minutes. So, Yusuke and Akira decided that they would see who could finish in the fastest time.

Akira had used his silver-tongue to convince the workers to set up this challenge, though in all honesty, they hadn't needed that much convincing. Yusuke and Akira were practically celebrities at the Big Bang Burger in Shibuya, and the workers advertised this event far and wide to attract more customers.

Yusuke meanwhile had talked with Haru, to make sure that she was alright with this since it was technically her business. She had laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, but had commented that it was ultimately very _them_. She'd given the go-ahead, saying that, while courteous of them, they really didn't need to ask her for something like this.

The two had met and told each other the good news, and they had practiced ever since. And now, today was finally the big day.

The two arrived in sweatpants and loose shirts, knowing that they would need all the space they could get. Akira didn't seem to mind, but Yusuke was not fond of having to wear such a tasteless outfit.

The store was crowded, but everyone made a path to the table where Akira and Yusuke would sit. Everyone from the Phantom Thieves was there as well, and they cheered and clapped them on their backs as they passed.

The two boys made their way to their seats, their Captain badges gleaming on their chests. They sat side by side, smirking at each other.

"Akira. I promise that I will best you in this competition. No one can eat faster than a starving artist!" Said artist posed dramatically, which caused several people in the crowd to laugh.

"Unfortunately, there's more to eating quickly than pure starvation," Akira reasoned in his usual calm and low tone. "True, you might be able to eat more than me, but you have to think about how to eat the burger to make sure it all goes down fast enough."

The crowd laughed at Akira's reply too. It seemed that everyone was having fun.

There was a sudden bell that rang through the air, its sound piercing through the din of the crowd. Everyone fell silent and turned towards the kitchen.

Two workers appeared past the swinging doors to reveal two Cosmic Tower Burgers, which were swaying dangerously on their plates. Everyone applauded and whistled.

The burgers were placed in front of the boys, who nodded in thanks at the workers. The workers bowed their heads and then walked back to join the crowd in cheering them on.

The manager of the store came out, holding a stopwatch in his hand. He announced that the challenge would begin as soon as he said "go".

Both boys prepared themselves in different ways to begin the attack. Akira was opening and closing his mouth to stretch his jaws, while Yusuke was framing the burger to figure out the best angle to begin eating.

The manager held his stopwatch high. "And… go!"

Akira and Yusuke grabbed onto their burgers, lifted them up, and began biting and chewing every part of the burger they could reach.

Though their methods appeared frenzied, there was an apparent strategy for each.

Yusuke would stuff a large quantity of the bun, meat patties, pickles, tomatoes… etc. into his mouth and swallow without chewing. This way, he could not savor the taste, which would have ultimately made him feel fuller.

Akira would use the water provided to saturate the buns to swallow them immediately. It actually gave him a very early head start, and he used this momentum to then take it easy on the meat portion. He knew that if he ate too much too quickly, he'd end up feeling (or being) sick. Either option meant that he would slow down, so he knew that he had to pace himself in order to finish in a timely manner.

The crowd watched, cheering at Yusuke's pace or at Akira's cleverness. People were betting on who would win, and the views were basically split 50-50.

Using these methods, both boys slowed down around the twenty-minute mark. Yusuke was finally starting to feel the effects of scarfing down everything in sight, and Akira was finding it hard to maintain his rhythm now that his stomach felt like lead.

But the two preserved.

Five minutes later, the plates were empty.

Who had finished first?

All heads turned towards the manager, who had clicked his stopwatch, and was scanning over the time.

"At twenty-five minutes and forty-two seconds, we have… a tie!"

Everyone gasped. There was no way. How could two people get the exact same time? It had to be a publicity stunt.

Unfortunately, there was no instant-reply for this eating competition, so no one could know for sure. But it seemed that no one really minded if the results were doctored one way or another.

The fact that two human beings had finished the burgers with multiple minutes to spare was an incredible feat. The crowd cheered, and Akira and Yusuke nodded, faces slightly tinged with green with expressions of nausea.

"Congratulations… Akira…" Yusuke murmured, turning to look at the boy.

"Same… to you…" Akira muttered back, looking at him as well.

The two boys smiled at each other. Yusuke winked at Akira, and Akira nodded. Clearing his throat, he turned to address the crowd.

"Now that this challenge is over, we have something that we'd like to announce!" Akira looked over at his friends, who were giving him blank stares.

"We discussed with the manager that if we were able to complete this challenge in under thirty minutes, that we would be able to name the challenge," Yusuke explained. Every nodded their heads, excited to hear what the name would be.

"We decided to use this moment to kill two birds with one stone." Ever so slowly, Akira moved his hand to place it on top of Yusuke's. The artist smiled at the other boy and placed his free hand on top. Everyone gasped again.

"This challenge will be named the ShuKita Challenge. Anyone who passes this challenge with a partner can prove to the world that they are a couple in love, and that they have a relationship that can surpass any challenge!" Yusuke declared, squeezing Akira's hand.

There was a moment of silence.

A very quick moment.

Because then the crowd roared, cheering its approval of the newly-revealed couple. There was applause, and Yusuke and Akira sighed with relief. They knew that Japan was not always the most accepting of countries when it came to certain types of relationships, but it seemed that at least everyone here was overjoyed at this prospect of love.

They turned their heads towards their friends, all of whom were staring in disbelief. Apparently, they had concealed their affections quite well.

Once the place had quieted down, one comment from Futaba had the entire restaurant laughing again.

"I cannot believe that these two idiots confessed their love with _fast food_!"

* * *

 _There we have it. I figured that the two biggest eaters of the group would have to have their romance relate to food in some way!_

 _Akira's method of eating is somewhat based on hot dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi's method. And, I figured I could get their ship name in there somewhere!_

 _Now, like I stated at the start of this challenge, I will be out of town tomorrow, so there will be no one-shot. But we will get back into the swing of things the day after that!_


	7. PolyThieves

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Welcome back! Here is a special one-shot to make up for my absence._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge! This one is technically a bonus since it includes all of the Phantom Thieves (except for poor Mona), but I thought of the idea one day, and it was just too hilarious to pass up._

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

The Initiation:

PolyThieves

-Goro-

"Is this really part of being initiated into the Phantom Thieves?"

"Do you not trust us, Akechi?"

"Yeah! What's the big idea?"

"I-I –"

"No, you guys. It makes sense that he'd be confused."

"If you say so."

"So are we gonna get this show on the road or what?"

Currently, the Phantom Thieves were sitting in their normal meeting spot of Akira's bedroom, with everyone sprawled out in their usual positions. Although this time, instead of Yusuke scarfing down chips or Makoto pouring through notebooks, everyone's attention was on the newest addition to the team.

Namely, Goro Akechi.

When he had decided to infiltrate the Phantom Thieves, he knew he would have to endure some bouts of uncomfortableness and awkwardness, as he had basically blackmailed them to join. But there was no way that they knew of his true intentions, as he had kept them hidden extremely well. The true awkwardness would come later, once he had enacted the final part in his master plan.

But for now, he accepted the fact that he would have to assimilate into their group, following any of the customs that they would inevitably thrust upon him. He figured that he could handle it.

But he had had no idea of just how… unusual their group was.

Once they had convened for their first meeting with the detective prince, Ann had blurted out how they had yet to initiate him into their group. Goro had agreed to go along with whatever they proposed. He figured it would be signing a document, or pledging his undying loyalty to the group – something childish of that nature.

Instead, it had taken a decidedly _adult_ turn. Ryuji had confirmed that the actual initiation rite had a more… amorous feel.

"I still cannot believe that the way to make yourself a part of the Phantom Thieves is to kiss every existing member."

"Well, get used to it, buddy! We all made out with each other!" Ryuji grinned, winking at him.

"I wouldn't say we _made out_ –" Makoto began before she was interrupted.

"Oh no. We all _definitely_ made out, Makoto. Don't try to deny it!" Ann waggled a finger at the student council president, who merely sighed and said nothing.

"I was particularly surprised at the ferocity of Haru's kiss," Yusuke murmured, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Wh-what do you mean, Yusuke?" Haru blushed, twiddling her fingers together.

"For real. I thought you were gonna eat everyone's faces off!" Ryuji exclaimed, guffawing.

"But thanks to that, I think my kissing has improved ten-fold!" Futaba cheered, causing some in the group to sigh in exasperation, while others laughed and encouraged her.

Goro was at a loss. He couldn't believe this was true. They _had_ to be tricking him. He needed proof to make sure that they weren't just bluffing.

Only for scientific purposes such as that. Of course.

"Well. I suppose I'll have to oblige then." Every member's eyes lit up, which was slightly unsettling. Goro continued. "However, I'd like to see a demonstration first, just to see how it's done."

"Dude, seriously? It's kissing. It ain't that complicated." Ryuji was looking at the other boy curiously, genuinely surprised.

"What's the harm, though? I could go for some action right now." Ann smiled and stood up, looking around the table.

When no one immediately volunteered, the model walked over to the only person who hadn't participated in the conversation as of yet. "Akira! I choose you!"

The boy in question looked over his glasses, eyeing Ann with an unreadable expression. After a few moments, he smiled gently and nodded his head, giving his permission.

The blonde's eyes sparkled as she slowly lowered herself down onto their leader's lap, sitting with her legs outstretched on the couch to his side. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her face towards his.

Goro watched as Akira lightly placed his hands on her waist while leaning forward as well. The two met in a gentle kiss, nothing too dramatic or lustful. In fact, within a few seconds, it was over.

As the two pulled away, there were some whoops and cheers from some of the more outgoing members. Goro scratched his chin in thought. It was… satisfying to see this demonstration, but the detective prince needed to see more. A larger sample size, of course.

"I see. But perhaps another demonstration would help even more." He watched as the group looked at him in confusion.

"Okaaay?" Futaba tilted her head at him. "But you know we can't all kiss each other. That would take all day!"

"I wasn't suggesting that. I merely… want to see a few different styles, to see what is appropriate and what is not."

"Fair enough. Ryuji! Let us perform the tongue-tango." Yusuke stood up as well, grasping his companion's hand.

The blonde looked at Yusuke with a sarcastic expression. "'Tongue-tango'? Dude, seriously?"

"Don't act like you don't like it!" Ann chided, still sitting in Akira's lap. The boy nodded his agreement.

"Alright. Let's do it then." Goro watched as the artist pulled the runner to a standing position. He gently massaged Ryuji's hand before leaning over to compensate for their height differences.

The other boy snorted before placing his hand on the back of the other's head and roughly pulling him down into a kiss. This one was slightly different, in that it was a bit more… zealous. Both Yusuke and Ryuji were making some moaning sounds that made Goro blush just to listen to. Had these people no shame?

Before too long, they pulled away, panting slightly. Yusuke leaned forward to peck at Ryuji's nose, with the later playfully punching his shoulder.

"Nicely done you two!" Futaba quipped, clapping slightly.

The feeling of embarrassment had faded, and it had changed into… something else. Goro wasn't quite sure what was going on, but for some reason, he just _had_ to see one more demonstration.

"I feel as if… one more example will suffice."

There was a beat of silence as no one said anything. Then, there was a laugh.

The group turned their heads collectively towards the source. Ann covered her mouth, shaking her head as if to clear it of the laughter. "Akechi. Don't tell me that all of this kissing is… turning you on right now?"

Goro blanched. Was _that_ what was happening? He couldn't believe it. But there was no denying the bubbling sensation in his stomach. Seeing all of these different methods of kissing between all of these vastly different people… was, for lack of a better term, _fascinating_. He supposed he should admit as much to the group. It could even help endear them towards him.

"I… suppose that might be what is happening at the moment."

At that point, Haru decided to speak up. "I see. Well then, I guess we should indulge our newest member one more time."

"Haru. Are you 'indulging' him as you say so that he'll be… um…" Makoto seemed at a loss for words. To be frank, Goro wasn't quite sure what the girl was getting at.

"Aroused? Sexed up? DTF?" Ryuji blurted out, causing a wave of laughter to crash through the room.

"Ryuji!" Makoto admonished, face bright red.

"Oh my god, Ryuji! That was priceless!" Ann had begun to laugh so vehemently that she had rolled off of Akira's lap and collapsed into a giggling mess onto the floor.

" _Anyway_! L-let's give him one more demonstration." Makoto had regained some of her composure, but not much.

Goro was standing there, mouth agape. He couldn't believe how… impolite? Casual? Inappropriate? One of those words, indeed, described the unholy mess that was unfolding.

But, surprisingly, he didn't mind all that much. He was actually starting to feel a slight warmth. The scene around him was chaotic for sure, but it seemed… right. It felt like he was really starting to be a part of the group. But he quickly shook his head internally.

He couldn't afford to begin to _actually_ care about these people. It would ruin his plans. He _had_ to treat them as pawns to be able to kill his bastard of a father. But even as thoughts of his father caused a white hot flash of hatred to course through his veins, he found that the joy and warmth of those around him slowly washed away that hateful feeling. It wasn't too much longer before it was flushed out completely.

He focused back on reality, seeing that Haru was currently attempting to convince Makoto to kiss her.

"Please, Mako-chan?" Haru held her hands out in front of herself, pleading with the other girl.

"Uh oh. She's bringing out the pet names for this!" Futaba cackled, tapping her fingers together like a stereotypical villain.

"Come on, Makoto! You know you want to." Ann wiggled her eyebrows at the older girl, clearly teasing her.

"Makoto. You said yourself that Akechi had to see one more demonstration," Yusuke explained calmly. "Think of it this way. He was able to see a male and a female kiss, then a male and a male, and now, he needs to see a female and a female."

"B-but –!"

"It'll be okay, Mako-chan." Goro watched as Haru reached out to touch her friend's face lightly, as the two had already been sitting next to each other. Ever so slowly, Makoto's face became calm as she lifted a hand to rest it on Haru's.

Haru then leaned forward, catching the other girl's lips. The student council president melted into the girl, kissing her in a way that was more passionate than Akira's and Ann's kiss had been, but also was much quieter than Ryuji's and Yusuke's had been.

A few moments later, the two parted with small blushes on their faces. Haru pecked the top of Makoto's head quickly before pulling away, while the other girl merely blushed further and giggled.

"Alright! Now it's Akechi's turn. Do ya think you can handle all of us?" Ryuji chuckled, winking at the detective.

Goro chuckled himself, straightening his tie. "I suppose I have no choice. Do your worst, Phantom Thieves! Steal my heart!"

As the group laughed at his admittedly childish proclamation, Goro realized that what he said was true. He wished they would enter his palace and steal his heart. Maybe then he could rid himself of the constant anxiety and hate that coursed through his body on a daily basis. Maybe then he could think clearly, and be able to accomplish his goals without having to destroy the lives of others.

Maybe then, he could finally love and be loved in return.

* * *

 _Sorry to take a kind of dark turn, but I think it fits in with the general plot of Persona 5. And hey! Maybe this will help him to see the light and figure out another way to defeat his father._

 _Also, I'm not sure where Morgana is in this story. He's probably just uncomfortable with this mass make-out session and prefers to spend his time elsewhere. Hope you enjoyed! See you tomorrow!_


	8. Haru x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge! This is a bit of a depressing one-shot (honestly, most of the ones with Akechi will be somewhat), so take note. Don't worry, though. Most of my stories will be happy and/or silly, but I've gotta try and flex my creative muscle in as many different ways as possible, right?_

 _Apologies in advance._

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Betrayal:

Haru x Goro

-Haru-

It was happening all over again.

Why was it that so many people in her life disappointed her in ways that made her feel… so betrayed? Perhaps that was why her awakening literally symbolized that devastating feeling of betrayal.

Her father had been a kind and decent man, at least, that was how he had seemed when she was younger. He disagreed with how her grandfather had ran his business, true, but her father had only wanted the best for himself and his family.

It had been over the course of years that her father's relatively innocent drive had degraded into a corrupt desire. To put himself before anyone else was basically the family creed. No matter what the cost, no matter how many people were hurt, her father would sacrifice anything to push his own agenda.

That had been the first major blow to Haru.

The second had come in the form of her previous fiancé. Sugimura had seemed… normal at first. Intelligent and polite, and eager to marry her. Sure, she hadn't been too thrilled at the idea of being married the minute she was a legal adult, but if it could help out her father, maybe even change him back to the way that he had been, then it would be worth it. Besides, she could do a lot worse than Sugimura.

How wrong she had been.

When it had become established that the marriage was happening, Sugimura became much more… aggressive in his intentions towards Haru. That was when he began fighting with her more, threatening her more, and hurting her in a variety of ways, be it physical or emotional. Yet again, another important person in her life had betrayed her in the deepest and most painful of ways.

But then, she had found someone else, someone who she could truly say she cared about.

Goro Akechi.

The prince detective was smart and kind, and he could sympathize with her in a way that many others couldn't. They both had mothers who had died when they were young, and fathers whom they disliked. Whereas Haru was more hurt and disappointed with her father, Akechi seemed to have… genuine rage. Whenever the subject of his father was mentioned, his face would lose its usual calm demeanor, and his eyes would cloud over in a way that made him look dead. It was clear that Akechi felt nothing but revulsion and hatred towards the man. Haru wondered who it could possibly be, but she never felt comfortable asking him.

Other than that, the two would get along relatively well. They spent the rare times that they were not at school, working, or raiding palaces going to a variety of places. They would go to art galleries, where Haru would list critiques while nodding her head at what Akechi had to offer.

They would travel to various fine dining establishments, tasting a variety of dishes, and even sharing one or two if they were particularly delectable. Haru had laughed at how Akechi's eyes had lit up upon seeing and tasting high-quality sushi, saying that Sae would only ever buy him conveyor belt pieces.

She knew that there was something suspicious about him, but she figured that maybe the Phantom Thieves could convince him to join their cause for real. That he would see that what they were doing was just, and that they could work together to bring justice to their corrupt society.

But then, she had learned the truth. How Akechi had been the one to gun down her father's cognition, which ultimately led to his mental shutdown and death.

It had horrified her. It had disgusted her. But the first thought in her head had been… not _again_.

She thought she had found someone that could truly understand her situation, someone who could share life's burdens with her. She thought Akechi could be reformed, and that they could maybe even start a relationship together. All of the times they had spent together made Haru realize that they were very compatible, but when this piece of information had come to light, it was like a bomb went off in her heart.

Now, instead of a burning passion, all she felt was emptiness. All that was left of her feelings were ashes that would be cool to the touch.

And, deep down inside, Haru was _hurt_. She didn't _want_ to believe that Akechi of all people could betray her in this way.

But it was confusing. She had disliked everything that her father had been doing. He had abused so many people, and was even willing to sell off his own daughter just to make a name for himself.

When the Phantom Thieves had changed his heart, she realized that what had gone wrong so many years ago would finally be undone. They could finally be a real family again. Sure, there would be struggles along the way, as her father had admitted to committing a slew of workplace safety regulations, but they would get through it together.

But Akechi had taken that chance away from her. He had stolen her father from her. And that was unforgivable.

She _wanted_ to be able to forgive him, but she knew that she couldn't. Any time she would look at him, or talk with him, or even kiss him, she would be doing so with the boy who had killed her father. Even if it was an order from a truly despicable human being, he had followed through nonetheless.

Maybe if they had found him earlier. Maybe if they had convinced Akechi to join their cause sooner, this wouldn't have happened. But reality was harsh. Akechi had murdered her father, and that was the truth.

So Haru let him go.

She stood against him with the other Phantom Thieves, who were shocked and disappointed as well. She let Akechi know that she understood why he did what he did, but that she could never forgive him.

She felt her heart throb painfully at this proclamation, because it disagreed with her brain. Her heart wanted to forgive and love Akechi, help him overcome and make up for what he had done. Her brain, however, knew that there would be no way to do this. He was no longer the person that she had thought he was.

And so, with tears in her eyes, she told him these things. And she told herself that she didn't see her tears reflected in his own eyes.

Tears of hurt… tears of regret… tears of betrayal.

They were tears that the two had shed plenty of in their lives.

* * *

 _Pretty sad and depressing, I know. I realize that many people justify Goro's actions, saying that Haru really hated her father (or believed that her actual father was long gone) and that this was ultimately for the better – and those justifications are perfectly fine! But for me, I find it hard to believe that Haru would ever forgive Goro for something like that – she pretty much says something in-game along the lines of "I can understand why you did it, but I can't forgive you."_

 _So it's unfortunate, because Goro is a tragic character, but some of the things he did are unforgivable to the Phantom Thieves, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to write a proper happy story with those thoughts in the back of my mind. Totally fine if you think I'm being too harsh, but hopefully, you still enjoyed even though it was sad. Don't worry – tomorrow's will be funny, so see you then!_


	9. Ryuji x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Time for the drunk one-shot! At least the first one. There may be more since it's such a good catalyst for revealing hidden, romantic feelings… in STORIES! Don't get drunk in real life, people!_

 _Now that the PSA is out of the way, please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

A Drunken Mess:

Ryuji x Goro

-Goro-

"Yo! Goro! Ha, hey that rhymes!"

"S-Sakamoto-kun? Is that you?"

The detective prince had been walking home from work after a long day of investigating the Phantom Thieves, and he believed he was close to a breakthrough. Quite honestly, he had his proof of who the Phantom Thieves really were, but he needed to have the proper chance to reveal them, or threaten to at least. It was all a part of his master plan. The student council president was under pressure to invite him to their school's Culture Festival, and that was where he was prepared to strike.

But for now, he saw the reckless blonde of their group, Ryuji Sakamoto, wantonly waving his hand about in a clumsy greeting. Goro observed how the boy's cheeks were flushed, and that he seemed to be unaware that he had hit a passerby, who had merely grumbled and continued to walk.

It was clear to anyone that Ryuji was drunk, but hopefully, not too much. How he had ended up getting his hands on alcohol was anyone's guess. But at this point, it didn't really matter. This could be a good opportunity.

"My man! How's it goin', buddy?" Ryuji had stumbled down the stairs from the bar entrance that he had been standing on, and slammed into Goro particularly hard. The detective had to brace himself as he hit, and he wrapped an arm around the boy, keeping a tight hold on his suitcase with his other hand.

"Q-quite alright, thank you for asking." He looked over Ryuji's face, trying to see if there was any ounce of self-awareness. It seemed that the boy was pretty much gone.

Ryuji smiled. "Great! That's awesome, dude! Like, for real." He lifted an arm up and gave Goro a one-handed smack on his back, which caused him to cough slightly.

Goro cleared his throat. "I'm glad that you think so." The stench of alcohol was particularly intense, and it was all Goro could do not to flinch away in disgust. He had smelled his fair share of alcohol – being in a big city like this, one tended to smell all the different aspects of night life. However, he'd never had such an up-close-and-personal experience with it. Sae would sometimes have a glass of sake if she worked a particularly late night, but that was the extent of his experience with it.

The boy that was currently clinging to him yawned. "I'm kinda sleepy, actually. Hey, Goro… you wanna walk me home? I could use the company."

Goro smiled, but on the inside, he was slightly apprehensive. "I suppose that I could. Where do you live?"

Ryuji lifted a lazy arm and pointed to their left. "Somewhere that-away!" He laughed.

Goro shook his head. "Sakamoto-kun, I'm going to need a little bit more information to go on than that."

The blonde cackled. "But you're the detective prince! Detect it!"

Said detective fought against the impulse to roll his eyes. "Yes, well… us detectives usually need some more detailed information to go on to make our deductions."

"Say what?"

"…Never mind. I'll just have to figure it out myself."

Hoping that Ryuji had some form of ID on him, Goro stepped back from the other boy and began to search his person. He had an unfortunate amount of pockets.

As he reached into one of them, Ryuji made a slight noise of surprise. "Damn, Goro! Didn't know ya wanted to get into my pants _that_ badly. Ya coulda just asked!"

At the comment, Goro's hand froze, and he could feel a warm blush creeping up from his neck onto his face. "I-I'm merely attempting to find some ID to identify where exactly you live –!"

"Whoa! Now you wanna take me home? You're movin pretty quick there, dude!" It seemed that Ryuji had already forgotten that he had asked the detective to walk him home.

Figuring that the blonde would no longer listen to reason, Goro simply ignored him and continued his search. Ryuji began to make progressively lewder comments, but Goro tuned him out, hoping that no one else was listening too closely. He did have an image to maintain after all.

In the last pocket he checked, Goro found Ryuji's wallet, which luckily contained his ID. His eyes quickly scanned over the address before he slipped the wallet back into the boy's pocket. Ryuji was lucky that he wasn't a pick-pocket, or he would have been taken for everything that he had.

Wrapping an arm around the drunk boy, Goro began to drag him forward. "This way, Sakamoto-kun. Let's get you home."

Ryuji obediently followed. "'Kay."

The two walked (well, on Ryuji's part, more like stumbled) in silence, the sounds of city night-life humming in the air. Unfortunately, the two were going to have to ride the subway. Hopefully they would manage to do so without incident. It wouldn't be wise to be caught with an underaged teen who was extremely drunk, especially since he himself was a minor as well.

It was slow-going down the stairs, and Goro had to reach into Ryuji's pocket again to get out his pass. It was lucky he had remembered which pocket he had returned his wallet to. Goro scanned both of their passes, avoiding the curious looks of passerby, hoping no one would say anything.

Once the two were on the subway, there were a few seats open, so Goro immediately dragged the boy and dropped him unceremoniously down onto one before taking a seat himself. He placed his suitcase in front of him, heaving a heavy sigh.

"Hey… you're pretty strong, dude," Ryuji slurred, his head swaying. "You were leadin' me here and there and everywhere."

"Thank you for the compliment, Sakamoto-kun."

"Hey… you can call me Ryuji, dude. I don't care too much about form… formal… formaly –"

"Formalities?"

"Yeah! That one!"

Goro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The two boys rode the subway in mostly silence after that, with Ryuji mumbling random phrases here and there. The detective prince decided that even though now would be a decent opportunity to interrogate the blond about his involvement in the Phantom Thieves, that it would be much better to do it in a quieter and more secluded environment. Due to his celebrity status, it was hard to have any sort of private conversation while out in public.

At some point during the ride, Ryuji's head finally tumbled, clumsily landing on Goro's shoulder. The detective said nothing, not having the energy at this point to point out to the drunkard that what he was doing was not socially appropriate. After a little while, the blond fell asleep, leaning more of his weight against Goro.

Wanting to make sure that Ryuji didn't fall and hit his head or cause some other major catastrophe, Goro, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, squeezing slightly. He noticed with a start that this caused the blonde to snuggle closer against him. A seemingly random tremor ran through his heart, and his blush from earlier in the night returned.

Goro looked away, instead focusing on the announcement of the subway conductor. It seemed that their stop was coming up soon. He would wake Ryuji then.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to the detective. Maybe he wouldn't have to ask a single question of Ryuji to get the information that he wanted. From his earlier search of the blonde's person, he had found his cellphone, but had done nothing with it, since it would not have his address. But now that said owner was unconscious, he could rifle through it without worrying about it tipping off the boy of his suspicious behavior.

Slowly, Goro used his free hand to insert it into the boy's pocket – luckily, he had remembered which one his cellphone had been in. He grabbed hold of the device and gently slid it out of Ryuji's pocket, holding it up to his face.

It was almost too easy. He swiped open the phone, which didn't even have a passcode. He saw that there were multiple text conversations from different people. Some were requests from Ryuji to Akira, asking if he wanted to hang out and train after school. Others were lewd jokes sent to Ann, most of which made Goro cringe in embarrassment, though it seemed that Ann had found them hilarious.

Finally, he settled on the texts that he had wanted to see. It was a conversation that involved everyone that he suspected of being the Phantom Thieves. The most recent texts were those of confusion about how Haru Okumura's father had been murdered, and whether or not it had been their fault. So it seemed that they had still not caught on.

Nodding his head, pleased with this success, Goro quickly locked the phone and slid it back into Ryuji's pocket. Looking up, he saw that this was going to be their stop.

Goro gently shook Ryuji, who started and looked at the detective with a glazed expression. "Huh?"

"Our stop. It's coming up, Ryuji," Goro murmured gently. "Time to go."

Ryuji yawned, but nonetheless complied. "Gotcha. Let's go."

The two boys stood up carefully, with Ryuji becoming surprisingly more fluid in his movements. It seemed the nap had at least helped to make his behavior slightly more normal, though his cognitive processes still seemed muddled, as he did not question the fact that Goro was taking him home.

The detective was so focused on getting Ryuji off of the subway safely, that he didn't realize that he had left his suitcase behind until he found it being shoved into his hands by the blonde. "Don't forget your super-official suitcase, dude."

Goro blushed at the show of incompetence. True, it might not have been a huge deal – people forgot things all the time. But for Goro, the fact that he had been distracted enough by someone to forget something so precious to him… was slightly disturbing.

"Ah. Thank you, Ryuji. Much appreciated." He smiled at the blonde, who chuckled and grinned back.

"Sure thing."

The two departed the subway, with Ryuji leaning into Goro, the latter of whom didn't mind too much at this point. They walked a few blocks until they reached the street that the Sakamoto house was on. Goro turned them in that direction.

"Say, Goro," Ryuji said slowly, as if focusing on every syllable that came out of his mouth. "I really 'ppreciate you walkin' me home tonight. I've… honestly, I've been havin' a rough couple of days, so I liked havin' someone I could just… hang out with, ya know?"

Goro smiled. "Of course, Ryuji. I've been working some late nights at the office as well, so this was a welcome experience for me."

Ryuji smacked the detective on the back. "Good to hear that."

After a few minutes, the two arrived at Ryuji's doorstep. The detective slowly stepped away, making sure that the blonde could stand on his own. He waved his hand in farewell. "I will see you at the Culture Festival soon, Ryuji. I look forward to it."

The blonde grinned. "See ya there, dude. And hey." Suddenly, Ryuji's face was inches from his own. Goro blushed and made a choking sound, shocked and embarrassed that the boy was so close. Ever so gently, Ryuji placed a feather-light kiss on the detective's cheek, before pulling away.

"Ya walked me home. The least I could do is give ya a goodnight kiss, right?" He chuckled at the lack of response from the other boy. "Anyway, have a good night." With that, Ryuji turned and walked up the few steps leading up to the front door before disappearing inside.

Goro stood there for a moment, his mind and heart racing. That had been… surprisingly dashing of the blonde. He wasn't quite sure why he was feeling this way… except, in truth, he did, but he was stubborn enough to refuse to accept it.

He wondered whether Ryuji would remember this experience in the morning – most likely not. So, he decided to have this remain a secret. He could always keep one more.

* * *

 _Another one-shot down! Hope you all enjoyed. No idea how Ryuji got drunk, but hey, you don't always have to explain everything in a one-shot. See you tomorrow!_


	10. Ann x Futaba

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _I am going to be honest – this slot was technically for Ann x Goro, but we have had two stories with Goro in a row (technically three if you count the PolyThieves one told from his perspective), so I replaced it with Ann x Futaba so readers don't overdose on Goro Akechi. Also, this story technically has one of the characters from the original pairing, plus we haven't heard from Futaba in a while!_

 _This was very fun to write, so I hope you all think it's fun to read!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Truth and Lies:

Ann x Futaba

-Futaba-

"Hey, Futaba!" Ann exclaimed, standing up suddenly. She had been sitting beside the younger girl, who was feverishly working at her computer. She had some work to do unrelated to the Phantom Thieves, but work to be done nonetheless.

She had gotten pretty far along. Until a certain blonde beauty had entered her world – more specifically, her room.

Apparently, Ann wanted to spend quality time with every member of the Phantom Thieves, and, as she had put it, she was saving the best for last.

Futaba had jokingly suggested that she was merely her last choice, to which Ann strongly denied. Futaba wasn't quite sure if she believed her, but it made her feel happy regardless.

When the hacker had told Ann her plans for the day, she figured that would either scare the model off, or would cause her to drag Futaba away to do something more "fun".

Surprisingly, Ann had nodded her acceptance, and had then proceeded to plop herself down on Futaba's bed, declaring that she would watch the girl work her magic. Heck, maybe she would even learn a thing or two.

It had been quiet, save for the click-clacking of Futaba's keyboard, for almost an hour. She was making decent progress, and was firmly in the zone.

When Ann had suddenly moved into Futaba's field of vision, the hacker had jumped, which caused her to input a bit of code incorrectly.

Grumbling slightly as she fixed her error, Futaba mumbled, "Yes, Ann?"

Ann was either ignoring or not noticing the irritation in her voice. She smiled. "We should play a game!"

Futaba quickly saved her work and switched off her screen, sensing that whatever Ann had in mind was something she would not be able to get out off. Raising an eyebrow, she replied, "What kind of game?"

Ann brightened at Futaba's willingness to go along with what she wanted. "It's called Two Truths and a Lie. I used to play it with Shiho all the time!" Her expression faltered slightly at the mention of her best friend.

Futaba reached out and brushed her hand against the older girl's. She knew how Ann felt – it was similar to how she felt about Kana. It was hard to have a best friend that had to suddenly leave your life due to events out of either person's control.

Ann's expression shifted back to what it had been. She excitedly grabbed hold of Futaba's hand and pulled her up so that she was standing in front of the model. Standing inches from the taller, and admittedly, stunning girl made Futaba blush slightly. She cleared her throat and stepped back a little.

"Anyway. What you do is tell someone two things about yourself that are true, and one thing that's a lie. The other person has to figure out which is a lie!"

Futaba smirked. "Interesting that you thought I'd need an explanation."

Ann stuttered. "Oh, s-sorry. Did you already know the rules?"

"Nope!"

Ann gasped. "Why you…" Grinning, she raised her hands up to Futaba's collar and began tickling the other girl.

Futaba couldn't help it. She was extremely ticklish after all.

She burst out laughing, squirming around as she tried to move her body away from Ann's hands. Pretty soon, the older girl was laughing as well.

"E-enough!" Futaba grabbed Ann's wrists and held them down at her sides, breathing heavily. While fun, she couldn't afford to have Ann take her breath away in more ways than one – she'd asphyxiate that way.

Ann giggled. Sliding her hands down so that Futaba was now holding onto them instead of her wrists, she led the girl over to the bed. She plopped back down, causing Futaba to fall down onto it with a huff.

"So why don't you start, since you seem to know the rules?" Ann teased, watching with mirth as Futaba sat up and started fixing her hair, which had gone askew during the tickling and subsequent tumble onto the bed.

"Even though I _just_ admitted I'd never played before, it sounds simple enough. So yeah!" Futaba bounced on the bed. "Let's see…" Futaba thought. What truths should she tell? The Phantom Thieves had already seen deep within her heart, so it was hard to think of anything that the older girl didn't already know.

Conversely, what lie would Ann believe? Many thought that Ann was a typical ditzy blonde model, but that was far from true. First of all, why did people automatically assume that blonde people (or models for that matter) were stupid? Secondly, Ann was surprisingly sharp.

Of course, she could always say that she had a crush on Ann, and if things didn't work out, she could say that was the lie. It was tempting, but Futaba didn't want to play around with her feelings. They were serious, and this was just a harmless little game between friends.

Eventually, Futaba nodded her head. "Okay. I got a couple for ya." Futaba folded her hands together. "First, I prefer home-cooked meals to instant stir-fry noodles." She waited for Ann to process this. When the other girl nodded, Futaba continued. "Second, sometimes I sneak extra spices into Akira's curry while he's making it." Futaba grinned at the belly-laugh from Ann. "Finally, I don't actually need my glasses to see. I just like to wear them for aesthetics."

Ann nodded her head sagely. "Okay. Let me think about this for a second." The girl tapped her fingers, her eyes wandering around the room as if it could provide her with clues.

Futaba wasn't sure if Ann was aware, but since she had not let go of the hacker's hands the entire time, she was currently tapping her fingers _on_ her hand. Futaba blushed slightly at the contact.

She was genuinely curious if the model would be able to figure out which was the lie, as they all seemed somewhat plausible.

"Alright! I think I've got it." Ann stopped tapping and returned to squeezing the other girl's hand. Futaba said nothing.

"I think… the last one is a lie."

Futaba blinked. "Are you sure? Is that your final answer?"

Ann nodded. "Yep!"

Futaba smiled. "Correct."

"Yes!" Ann fist pumped the air, which caused the mattress to sway.

"How did you figure it out? Curious minds must know!" Futaba demanded, since she was truly wondering how Ann had reasoned it out.

"Well then, I'll tell you." Ann wrapped an arm around Futaba's shoulders. Futaba assumed it was a friendly gesture, but that still didn't prevent her face from turning the shade of Panther's outfit.

"I knew the first was true because I've seen the way your eyes light up with the Boss' or Akira's homemade curry. You like instant food, of course, but you always look really happy when you can eat their cooking."

Futaba smiled and nodded, but said nothing. Had Ann really been looking at her that closely to notice these things?

Ann squeezed the girl's shoulders. "The second one was true because I can totally imagine you spiking said curry with all kinds of stuff just to mess with him." She winked. "I mean, why would some of Akira's curry be absolutely _divine_ , but others would be horrible? There was some kind of mischief behind the counter if you ask me."

Futaba giggled.

"Finally," Ann lifted both of her hands and placed them on either side of Futaba's glasses frames, which startled the girl. Ever so gently, Ann lifted them off of her face, folded them up, and carefully placed them on Futaba's desk. "I know that you can't see well without your glasses. Whenever you don't have them on, you always squint." Ann had said all of this in a soothing murmur, and Futaba felt mesmerized by her voice. But then, Ann exclaimed much more loudly, "I mean, I think all these years of staring at a computer monitor really screwed up your sight, Futaba!"

Futaba shook her head, the stupor that had she had been trapped in suddenly vanishing. She reached over and picked up her glasses, sliding them back into place. "I guess that all makes sense. There's no fooling you, Ann!"

"Of course! I am the master at this game." Ann flipped one of her pigtails back behind her shoulder in a jokingly-obnoxious manner. "Now I'll go and see if _you_ can detect the lie."

Futaba grinned. "I'm all ears."

Ann cleared her throat. "Okay. First, I dislike carbonated drinks. Second, I've kissed a girl." Futaba openly spluttered at this one. Ann noticed and smiled slyly at her. "Finally, I've kissed Ryuji."

"W-what?" Futaba practically fell off the bed. "Why are two of yours related to kissing?"

"Why were two of yours related to food?"

"Touché. But still… wow…"

Futaba was having a hard time believing this. So the first one was obviously true – it was the most normal option. But the latter options were outrageous, and _one of them was true_! Unless they were both true, and Ann had thrown them in to startle Futaba from not picking the first one. Her brain felt like it was overheating.

"Huh. I'm gonna need some time to process this one."

Ann smiled gently. "Take all the time you need."

Futaba thought. She was going to go with her original assumption that Ann disliked carbonated drinks. Thinking back, she could never recall the older girl drinking one.

That left the kissing options. Ann seemed like the kind of girl who could swing both ways (though in all honesty, all of the members from the Phantom Thieves seemed like they could), so the girl one was not completely off the table. But maybe Futaba just secretly hoped for that one to be real.

The last one seemed… odd. The two were close… but were they close in _that_ way? Futaba got more of a "best friends since childhood" vibe from them rather than romance. It seemed that this was her best bet.

"I have made my decision!" Futaba announced.

"Then let's get on with it!" Ann prodded.

"I choose… option number three!"

Ann chuckled. "I figured. But you'd be wrong."

"What? You've kissed Ryuji?" Futaba's eyes bugged out of her head.

Ann nodded. "I sure have. It was for a dare, though, not because I like him like that. I couldn't pass up the bet though. He was gonna buy me a super deluxe crepe if he lost!"

Futaba briefly wondered what the bet was. But she found that she couldn't care less at the moment. "So then… you've never kissed a girl?"

"Bingo."

"B-but… um… have you ever wanted to?" Futaba couldn't help herself. It seemed like the question rose up out of her body before her mouth or brain could filter it.

Ann smiled. "Yes."

Futaba raised her eyebrows. "R-really? That's interesting, A—"

Before she could get Ann's name out of her mouth, she noticed that something was on hers.

Namely, Ann's mouth.

If Futaba had blushed before, it was nothing compared to what was going on now. She suddenly pushed Ann away by her shoulders, her own heaving with deep breaths.

Ann looked at Futaba with a hurt expression. Unable to meet the younger girl's eyes, Ann mumbled, "W-was that not okay? I thought that… ya know… maybe… you liked me like that. I-I wasn't sure, but I went for it and now I feel really bad and now you're not saying anything and it's freaking me out and –"

Now it was Futaba's chance to return the favor. Once she had gotten over the shock of her crush not only liking her back but _kissing her_ , Futaba was able to do what she had always wanted. Placing her lips onto Ann's, the other girl made a surprised sound, but ultimately fell silent. She kissed the other girl back, wrapping an arm around her waist to bring her closer.

The two pulled apart after a few moments, both breathing heavily and blushing furiously.

Futaba wasn't able to say anything just yet, but she moved forward to rest her forehead on Ann's. She looked into the other girl's eyes, conveying just how strongly she felt.

Ann smiled, looking right back at her. "Well," she murmured, pecking Futaba on the nose, "Looks like everything I said was true after all."

* * *

 _Bam! This story practically typed itself. I wish all of them were this easy to write. Sorry RyuAnn fans for that tease – you will get your chance! See you tomorrow!_


	11. Yusuke x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _The artist makes a comeback!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Bowl of Vegetables:

Yusuke x Haru

-Haru-

It had been an interesting request, to say the least. But Haru had come to expect it of her erratic boyfriend by now.

Yusuke had approached her one day after school, asking if they could go up to the rooftop to check in on the status of her garden. Haru loved when others showed interest in her plants – it gave her a chance to show off in a way that she rarely did.

So the two had ascended the stairs that she had just walked down, and they reached the rooftop relatively quickly. Haru was panting slightly, as Yusuke had obviously been in a hurry, and with his longs legs, he could get anywhere in a matter of minutes.

Closing the door behind her, Haru turned back to face Yusuke to see that he was already absorbed in observing the different plants that she had assorted there. As she walked over to him, she could hear him muttering to himself.

"Hm. There's a fair amount of green, but perhaps a splash of red from the tomatoes would be just enough to offset that." Yusuke was analyzing the plants with his signature finger-framing, scanning back and forth along the small garden.

Haru watched him in silence. One of the things that she loved about the artist was his passion and dedication to detail. Not that all of the other Phantom Thieves were crude or ignorant, but Yusuke's intensity caused an almost inhumane degree of focus, which came in handy in many situations, be it a battle or a study session.

Unfortunately, this intense focus sometimes meant that Haru would be ignored for stretches of time, but she knew that he didn't mean anything by it. When he was focused on her, this intensity applied as well, so she was grateful for the equal parts give and take of their relationship.

She could tell this was one of those times where he would disregard everything around himself until he had decided on his muse. So Haru settled in, interlocking her fingers and leaning against one of the many school desks that were scattered about the rooftop.

After a few solid minutes of silence (with some mumbles here and there), Yusuke turned towards Haru and smiled. "This will be perfect. Haru! May I trouble you to pick some of your vegetables?"

Haru smiled. She figured that was what he wanted. "Of course, Yusuke. All of these plants are here for you all." She looked at pots that were growing them. "Which do you need?"

Yusuke walked over to Haru and gently took hold of her hand, softly stroking the knuckles. "Please let me show you."

Haru blushed slightly. Squeezing his hand back, she murmured an agreement, letting herself be pulled over to the plants in question.

She listened as he pointed out each vegetable that he wanted. But it wasn't just the type of vegetable – Yusuke wanted specific ones, which he would gesture to and explain its significance to the overall piece. Haru would kneel down and carefully pluck each one, making sure to leave the others untouched and therefore undamaged.

Eventually, the collection was complete, and Haru was standing next to Yusuke, her hands holding a basket that she had picked up once she realized that Yusuke was going to need a fair amount of vegetables.

Yusuke excitedly took them from her, placing them on one of the school desks and arranging the contents in a specific way.

"So, what's the occasion, if I may ask?" Haru inquired, wondering if he would be able to answer her in his current state of concentration.

"I've been studying European art recently. More specifically still life," Yusuke murmured, moving a cucumber towards one side. "The art is largely unremarkable, as the pieces are mostly literal. However, some artists have put their own unique spin on their art."

Haru nodded her understanding. Due to her wealthy upbringing, she had been exposed to many different types of art in her life, so she knew mostly what Yusuke spoke of. It was unusual for him to focus on it, however, since his art tended to be more avant garde. She said as much.

Yusuke nodded. "It is a little unusual for me. But I have been attempting to broaden my horizons in order to develop my skills as an artist. I will still add my personal flair, but I'd like to see how well I can paint a literal image." Satisfied, he stepped back and admired the image that he had created.

"Being a part of the Phantom Thieves helped me develop my creativity, but now that those times are over, I'd like to make sure that I can still find inspiration from real life rather than from the cognitive world."

Haru smiled a little sadly. It was always a depressing wake-up call to be reminded that their times in palaces and Mementos were over and would never come back, but she took heart in the fact that they all had their memories and friendships, and those would never fade.

She walked over and stood next to Yusuke, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I see. But I thought that most still life was fruit?"

She sighed happily as Yusuke wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her slightly. "True to some extent, though there are other examples. Many artists painted flowers for instance. But I'd like to flip that notion on it's head a little and draw vegetables." He paused. "Besides, I want the world to know how much time, effort, and care my beloved has spent on growing these beautiful subjects."

Haru giggled at the praise. "Why thank you, Yusuke. That's sweet of you to say."

Yusuke chuckled. "Of course. I would not say so were it not the truth, Haru."

The two stood there, watching as the sunlight reflected off of the vegetables in the basket. While the vegetables themselves were not perfect, Haru supposed that was the point. Many farmers would grow fruits and vegetables by genetically modifying them, which made them pristine, but sometimes took away all of the natural vitamins that made them healthy for someone in the first place. Seeing these vegetables with their slight imperfections proved that they were grown in an unaltered way.

Before too long, Yusuke stepped away from Haru and bent down to retrieve his art supplies from his bag. Haru stepped back as well and took a seat in one of the school chairs littered about the rooftop, waiting to watch her boyfriend work his magic just as she had worked hers.

* * *

 _Bam! Another story for the history books. I think I'm starting to get a handle on these (I hope). I'd like to imagine that Haru smacked Yusuke with a cucumber after he was finished – not for any particular reason, but just because it would be funny to see. See you tomorrow!_


	12. Yusuke x Makoto

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _I hope that you are in the mood for more Yusuke!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Sketch:

Yusuke x Makoto

-Yusuke-

Everyone knew that drawing was a pastime that Yusuke enjoyed. Even though his main work was with paintings, he was known to sketch from time to time. Usually, they were basic images, or ideas that he would ultimately complete on his canvas.

But sometimes, there would be more fleshed-out creations as well.

He kept a small journal of these depictions, and it was almost a diary of sorts. These sketches were meant for his eyes only, and they represented deep parts of himself that he never wanted to reveal to others, for they were the very essence of his soul. Were they criticized, Yusuke knew that he would never be able to recover.

Some drawings were of his mother, at least, what he could remember of her. He knew that the Sayuri was a self-portrait of sorts, but he was determined to sketch what he could personally remember of her. It was similar to the world-famous image, but not exact.

Other drawings were representations of his thoughts while traveling through palaces and Mementos. These were more chaotic, and he was never able to quite pin down what they should look like.

There was one, however, that had become a master project of sorts, as he gave more attention to it than almost any other piece he had created.

It was almost a cliché… an artist drawing the girl he loved. It happened all the time in books and in films, but Yusuke appreciated these moments in all honesty. It gave him a way to express his desires, while at the same time keep them a secret. He wasn't quite ready for the girl of his dreams to know of his feelings towards her.

Makoto Niijima was beautiful – not many could deny that. Which made her the perfect person to sketch. This had all started mostly as a way to practice drawing people, as most of his art was more abstract. It was also very easy to do, since they spent so much time together.

When the Phantom Thieves met up to discuss when to explore Mementos, or when to send a calling card, Yusuke would diligently scribble in his journal. The team assumed that he was merely sketching out ideas, as he frequently did. And he was only so focused on Makoto because she was the strategic advisor of the team, and everyone always had to listen to what she had to say.

As Yusuke sketched, he noticed little things about Makoto that he hadn't before. She would tuck her hair behind her ear when she was nervous or stressed, and she would put a hand to her chin when she was deep in thought.

Her deep red eyes would always scan the room, as if she were observing and taking note of everything. Her gaze was intense, and Yusuke found himself somewhat entranced.

As everyone who had been there at the time of Makoto's awakening knew, the student council president was an extremely passionate person. But she hid this passion beneath the surface, and let it out in small bursts when necessary. However, when Yusuke looked close enough, he could see the happiness, or the anger, or the sadness swirling around in her eyes. He almost felt as if he were seeing directly into her soul.

It was this subtle passion that caused Yusuke to become more invested in his muse. He wanted to be able to express these strong emotions without being overly dramatic, and this was a challenge. Before long, he realized that he was no longer interested in Makoto as a subject of a drawing, but rather, as a person whom he would dearly like to get to know.

Eventually, Yusuke knew that he would have to show his sketch to its inspiration. He felt waves of sadness wash over him at the thought of not showing Makoto his drawing, but he felt equal parts terror in revealing it to her.

But he knew that he had to. One way or another, he had to see if she felt the same.

So, one day after school, when there were no plans for Phantom Thieves business, Yusuke invited Makoto to the local park, saying that he had something that he wanted to show her. He could tell even through text that her curiosity was piqued as she agreed to meet him there.

Yusuke arrived shortly thereafter at the park, noticing that Makoto had beaten him there. The girl was always punctual, which was something that Yusuke needed to work on himself. She noticed the boy and waved him over to the bench that she was currently sitting on. He walked over and gave a polite greeting, which she returned.

"Alright, Yusuke, I have to know." Makoto leaned closer to the boy, her eyes gleaming. "What did you want to show me?"

Yusuke smiled gently. "One of my latest pieces." He lowered his voice. "Now, I must inform you that this is a work of art for your eyes only. I have never shared the sketches in my journal before, but I would like for you to see this one in particular because of its importance."

Makoto nodded. "I see. Thank you for trusting me so much, Yusuke."

Yusuke chuckled. "Indeed. You are a very easy person to trust, Makoto."

After a moment of silence, with a pounding heart, Yusuke opened up his journal to the sketch of the girl, awaiting her reaction. "Please, give me your honest opinion."

He watched as her scarlet eyes perused the page, saw them widen in shock as their owner realized what this was. "Yusuke! Is this… me?"

Yusuke nodded. "It is indeed. I am glad that you were able to tell."

"Of course, Yusuke. This looks… incredible." Makoto went on to list several more properties of the work, and there was no criticism to be found. Yusuke's heart continued to beat quickly, but it was now because of extreme happiness rather than nervousness.

"Now that you have seen my art, I must let you know the reason behind this." Yusuke closed the journal and placed it at his side, giving his full attention to the girl. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. He gulped.

"You… are a very beautiful girl, Makoto. In more ways than one. Within your eyes, I see a range of emotions too powerful to describe. You have anger at the world, but you channel this rage into a noble cause. Every action is with a purpose, and you never waste a single motion." He moved a hand on top of hers, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I know this all seems sudden, but I would love for you to not only be my muse, but to be my partner. Together, I know that we can make this world that much more beautiful." Finished with his confession, he smiled, willing his hand to not tremble as he awaited her response.

The look on Makoto's face was one of surprise. It seemed that she had had no idea of his feelings towards her. Whether or not that was good or bad was up to interpretation. After a few moments, Makoto turned her hand so that she could hold his, and gave it a slight squeeze. "Yusuke," she murmured, "thank you for telling me of your feelings. I can tell that it took a fair amount of effort on your part."

He nodded.

"I don't want to keep you waiting, as I know you like honesty. So know that I am being honest when I say that I like you as well."

Yusuke couldn't help it. He gasped. It was too good to be true.

Makoto smiled at his reaction. "I know that I'm not always the best at showing more… delicate emotions. For the longest time, I had problems expressing any emotion at all. It wasn't until the Phantom Thieves that I… well, you already know all about that." She giggled. Yusuke chuckled as well.

"But I feel strongly for you, for a slightly different reason." She squeezed his hand again. "I admire… how honest you are with how you really feel. Even if it's somewhat brutal. And you had this ability even before you became a Phantom Thief, from what Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana have told me."

"I see," murmured thoughtfully. "I do always try to be true to myself. To do anything less would destroy my image of being an artist."

"I think that's very noble of you." Makoto hummed softly. "You know, back when you told me that I was useless during the Kaneshiro episode, I realized that you were able to cut down to the bone. It was honestly one of the deepest insults I had ever heard about myself."

Yusuke sighed. He remembered how harsh he had been towards the older girl, and he figured that that alone would have disqualified him from being a potential romantic partner for her. Yet, she said that she _did_ like him. He admitted to her that he was confused about that.

Makoto smiled. "I realized that the reason it hurt so deeply was because it was _true_. Of course, I behaved myself and didn't cause trouble, but I didn't really _help_ anyone. And when I tried to prove how helpful I was… well… you know how that ended too."

"Yes. That was… a particularly frightening series of events." Yusuke shuddered to remember what had almost become of the girl.

"And you called me out on those actions as well. When I said I was being reckless, you agreed. It honestly shocked me how honest you were… but it was refreshing. So many people hide behind a mask, only showing the parts of themselves that are desirable to our society. I was guilty of that for so long. But you, Yusuke… you disregard all of that, even if that attitude comes back to bite you."

Yusuke chuckled. "Now look who's being brutally honest. I must admit, I appreciate seeing that from you."

Makoto grinned. "I see. But the reason that I grew to like you was that, even when you are being this way, it's always to help the other person better themselves." She looked into his eyes. "Akira and the others told me that you were the one who was able to sketch the numbers of the license plate of the car that I was being taken away in. If it hadn't been for you… I would be… not in a good situation."

Yusuke squeezed her hand.

Makoto smiled at him, her eyes glistening slightly. "So, Yusuke… thank you, with all of my heart. Even though you barely knew me, you saved my life. And after that, you helped me to stay on the right path to be able to help and advise others. I hope… that I can help you in a similar way."

"Makoto… I will be brutally honest, as you would like me to be." Yusuke returned her gaze. "You are such a strong and courageous person. It takes bravery to be able to do what you did. Yes, it was reckless, but you ultimately helped out our cause. You were able to obtain information that we could never have hoped to gain by putting yourself directly in harm's way. So know that I appreciate everything about you, and that you help me in ways that I may never be able to express."

The two smiled at each other. Their feelings, whether they were out in the open or concealed, would always be a part of their lives.

And now, they would be a part of their relationship.

* * *

 _Phew! That turned out longer than I thought it would. Makoto is my favorite character in the game, but even I have to admit, what she did to obtain information about Kaneshiro was DUMB. I'm not quite sure what she thought would happen, but thank god the Phantom Thieves were there to rescue her, am I right?_

 _This was very hard to write, because other than the moments I described in this one-shot, the two barely interact AT ALL. Hopefully, it was easier to read than to write. See you tomorrow!_


	13. Ann x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _The title for the story is a reference to Project Runway, when models would walk up and down the runway to convince designers to choose/stay with them. I realize it might be a little confusing since it's also a baseball term, but hopefully, the plot would clear this up anyway!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Walk Off:

Ann x Goro

-Ann-

"You know, I must say that I don't quite understand the fascination of runway walks."

Ann tilted her head to her right, looking up at the person who had spoken.

Goro had been standing off to one side, deep in thought about something or other. Ann had turned on the television to watch the latest episode in her favorite model show. She'd been looking forward to it for the past week, and everyone in the Phantom Thieves knew not to make light of her obsession.

They also knew not to interrupt her when she was watching it. So, even though she was currently in Akira's room watching his television, the rest of the Phantom Thieves decided that they would hang out in Leblanc until the hour-long episode was over.

That is, except for the newest member.

Goro clearly had not understood the cues that everyone else had been giving off. Or he was simply curious as to what Ann would be doing. Either way, he was here now, and while he had watched the majority of the show in silence, he must not have been able to hold in his comments any longer.

"It's pretty straightforward, isn't it?" Ann answered quickly, moving her head to face the television again so that she wouldn't miss a moment.

"I assume you mean that the concept of runway walking is straightforward, which is not what I meant." Ann felt a shift in the couch beside her and realized that Goro had sat down next to her. "I meant why are you so fascinated in the subject?"

Ann sighed. She wanted to give their newest member some slack, but she really didn't feel like having an in-depth conversation with him right now. "The others did tell you that I model part time, right?" She huffed, somewhat impatient with the boy.

"They did."

"So then I'm studying my craft. Don't you do the same with your detective work?" Ann asked, still watching the television screen.

"I do."

"So then, what's the confusion?"

"When I study a detective mystery, I don't know instantly who the perpetrator is. I take clues from character backgrounds, actions, and so forth, and then deduce the guilty party at the end."

Ann wasn't completely paying attention, but even if she had been, she was pretty sure she wouldn't understand his train of thought. "Okay?"

"My point is, I know exactly who will win this competition, and it has nothing to do with this walk off."

At this, Ann started. She turned her gaze back to the detective, observing his smirk with incredulity. "H-how the hell would you know that? You've seen like, 40 minutes of a single episode. There's no way you know!"

Goro chuckled. "Well then. Let's test that theory. Who do _you_ think will win at this point, Ann?"

Ann glanced back at the screen and saw that the show had gone to commercial. She could afford to talk with him a little longer. "Well… probably Naomi. Her walk was definitely the best. She was basically flawless." She went on for a minute about the different aspects of her walk, knowing that she tried to emulate some of those herself.

Goro nodded as he listened. Once she finished, he took his turn. "You clearly know a fair amount about the subject. However, you are forgetting one key aspect."

Ann blinked. "And that is?"

"The fact that it is a television show. It is a competition. And how do the producers make sure that their audience continues to watch? Drama." Ann said nothing, so he continued. "You are correct that Naomi has the best walk by far out of all the models. But her personality is somewhat… bland. She's likeable, but that's about it. Whereas another girl… Seiko I believe… she is much more flamboyant and eccentric. She does not walk as well, true… but why else would she still be here? Based on the small number of models, this is late in the season, yet, she is still here despite her mediocre walking."

Ann thought. "Huh. So you're saying it's more of a personality contest than actual skill?"

Goro nodded. "Essentially. I'm not sure if the show was always like this. Your obsession suggests that it has been on for multiple years. At first, maybe it was truly based on skill. But as the years went on and more people began watching, they wanted to ensure that this fanbase would grow. Most people don't appreciate the true skill that these models display like you do. They want to see drama, to be able to laugh at others' petty problems and forget about their own for a while."

"Well I – " Ann was about to retort when she realized that the show was back on. "Huh. Let's see how right you are!"

The two turned their attention towards the screen. The judges would critique each model, and then would send them backstage one by one. Eventually, the two girls that Goro and Ann had mentioned were the only two left on the runway, and they awaited the results with baited breath.

Then, Seiko was declared the winner of the challenge.

Ann gasped. There was no way! That girl had _no_ skill. "I can't believe it! Naomi can walk circles around that girl and she _loses_ to her?"

Goro laughed. "It appears that I was correct after all."

Irritated but still impressed, Ann picked up the remote and turned the television off.

The detective seemed surprised by her action. "Ann? There's still a few minutes left –"

"That's it, Akechi! We're having a walk-off, right here, right now!"

The boy's face paled. "W-what? But Ann, I have no practice in model walking."

Ann smirked. "Too bad. We're gonna have a model walk whether you like it or not. It's only fair since you ruined one of my favorite shows by stripping it down to a cynical formula."

The model stood up and grabbed Goro by his arm, pulling him up as well. He attempted to pull away, but Ann wouldn't let him. She dragged him over to the back of the room.

"Alright, Smarty-Pants. Let's see how well you can walk since you know everything there is to know about it." She crossed her arms, giggling at the incredulous look he gave her.

"Ann! I already said that I understand the producers' crass reasoning on how to appeal to as many casual viewers as possible. I don't know the first thing about the actual performance!"

"Ah ah ah. Less talking, more walking. Go on." She gestured towards the far wall. "Start over there and then do your best model walk. I'm sure you'd like constructive criticism, since you dish it so easily." When Goro said nothing, Ann leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Plus, it'll help with your television appearances if you can walk in a way that drives the girls _and_ boys _wild_."

She smiled at the blush that appeared on the boy's face. Still silent, Goro nodded and walked over to the opposing wall. Ann was tickled by the fact she could tease him all she wanted, but still be able to help him along the way.

Goro stood facing the other wall, most likely preparing himself for his walk. Ann could see him reaching up to his neck, and she was assuming he was straightening his tie.

A moment later, the detective turned around and began to sashay towards the other girl, and it was all she could do to keep from laughing. He really didn't understand any of the basics of model walking. True, he was good at copying what he saw on the show, but there was one distinct problem with that.

He reached the other side and stopped, his blush from before growing on his face. "W-well? Was that… satisfactory?"

Ann couldn't help it. She giggled. "Pfft. Not quite, Akechi. You know that female models and male models have different ways of walking, right?"

Goro looked genuinely surprised. "Do they?"

Ann nodded. "Of course! It has to do with the body types. See, girls have that hourglass shape, so they look better swaying a bit as they walk. They can move their hips more, and their balance is typically better, so they can step more eloquently." She gestured towards the detective. "Boys on the other hand, tend to be stockier and have more of a powerful walk, so they focus more on walking straight and letting their shoulders do most of the moving."

Goro nodded. "I see. So my walk was too… feminine?"

Ann nodded. "I mean, did it _feel_ comfortable to you?"

The boy shook his head. "Not at all. But I figured that I was just uncomfortable with the whole process."

The two stood there for a few moments, neither one saying anything. Before too long, Goro cleared his throat. "So… are _you_ going to be walking now?"

"Nope!"

Goro blinked in surprise. "No? But, Ann, I thought we were having a walk off?"

Ann shook her head. "Nah. I just wanted to pay you back for how smug you were being before. And I knew the only way to get you to do something _that_ out of your comfort zone would be too make it a competition."

He shook his head. "I see. Just as I learned model walking from you, you learned how to manipulate others' thoughts and feelings to motivate their behaviors from my discussion."

"Yep!" The model walked up to Goro so that she was right next to him. Then, she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek, which caused him to gasp in surprise. "Plus, you're really cute when you're flustered." She winked at him.

"I-I –"

"Anyway! Time to let the others know that we're done up here." Ann pat his cheek gently and walked away, heading down the stairs. Before she went too far, she turned to see Goro gently touching the spot where her lips had been. His face resembled the color of her Panther outfit, and she was amused to see how easily he was affected by subtle flirtations. "Now do you see why people love models and their walk offs?" She laughed when he nodded his head.

* * *

 _Here we go! This was interesting to write, since I was able to voice some of my frustrations with competitions like these. The first few seasons are all about the actual talent, but then once they become popular, it's all about which personality people would like to watch. Sometimes I'm proven wrong, though!_

 _For anyone who was curious, the names for the models are references to a horror game called Corpse Party, which I enjoy. If you dislike the character deaths in Persona, then you will never want to play this game (in fact, one of these characters dies, but I won't say which one)! See you tomorrow!_


	14. Ann x Yusuke

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _This is probably my shortest one-shot, but I hope you enjoy. I figure that since this is a pretty popular pairing, why try to make something good to compete when you can just throw something together, right? Kidding of course!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Portraits:

Ann x Yusuke

"Hey, Yusuke?"

"Yes, Ann?"

"Wanna do a painting?"

"Of what?"

"Of me."

"…"

"Is that a no?"

"No."

"Well, that was _definitely_ a no!"

"No! It was a no to your question, not… not of your offer."

"Sooo~?"

"… I suppose I could. Why the sudden interest, Ann?"

"I just realized something."

"What?"

"I like you."

"A-Ann –!"

"So, I figured you should paint a portrait of your new girlfriend. If that's okay?"

"I… yes… that should be fine."

"Great! Then let's get started!"

"R-right now? Ann, I don't have any of my supplies ready."

"Well then, get them ready!"

"O-of course. But, Ann… wait! Why are you –?"

"I've gotta be a perfect model right? And I figured this request was long overdue."

"B-but… your _clothes_!"

"What about them?"

"Well… why are you removing them?"

"Didn't you want to do this type of painting?"

"Y-yes. I suppose I did request this…"

"Then great! Let's get started! Paint me like one of your French girls, Yusuke."

"… I cannot believe you just said that."

"You're being awfully judgy for a guy with a geyser of blood shooting out of his nose right now."

"… So I am. Um… let us begin then."

"You bet!"

* * *

 _Yeaaah. This was a weird one. I'm trying out different styles, so I want to see how this works. Besides, when you have to do this many one-shots, you've gotta do something to shorten them! See you tomorrow!_


	15. Akira x Makoto

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _A pretty popular (or unpopular depending on your feelings towards Makoto) pairing I think!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Miss Post-Apocalyptic Raider:

Akira x Makoto

-Makoto-

A few years ago, Makoto never would've dreamed that she would be doing this.

Going on a motorcycle date with her boyfriend.

She'd been raised (first by her father, then later by her sister) to work hard, study even harder, and get into a top-rated university. There wasn't time to waste going on dates and really enjoying her life. That was all secondary compared to earning a job that would lead to a long and successful career.

Well, maybe Makoto had put that pressure on herself more than her father had, though Sae very much forced those thoughts on her until the Phantom Thieves had ultimately made her see the light.

When she was a Phantom Thief, Makoto realized that, while studies and a career were very important, there were other aspects of life that were just as (if not more) important. Friends, family…

Love.

When she began dating the leader of the Phantom Thieves, she was caught off guard by how passionately she felt for him. To be honest, the strength of her feelings had surprised herself ever since her Persona had awakened. The others even half-joked that she might kill them if they made her angry.

But she was glad that she went through all of that, because it opened up her life to experience all new possibilities that she had never thought possible.

One thing that she found that she rather liked was operating a motorcycle. It made her feel free and powerful at the same time. Plus, her boyfriend had said that she looked _extremely_ sexy while driving one, which was a generous compliment in her book.

So, one day, she decided that she would make this particular cognition a reality.

She had spent the past several years saving up her money, and once she had enough, she purchased a used older model motorcycle that was similar to Johanna (although without the face, which would've been somewhat creepy).

She'd been a little self-conscious at first, and she had received many looks from others, though mainly those of admiration rather than judgment. She figured that this was the perfect time in her life to live this lifestyle, since she would be graduating in a year and would then have to buckle down and start a career in law enforcement. Though it never hurt to be able to operate a motorcycle for that line of work.

After driving around to get used to it for a few days, she decided that she should tell her boyfriend of her purchase. She hadn't told him right away, because the last thing she wanted to do was fall off or crash her motorcycle in front of him, which would have been one of the most embarrassing things to have happen to her.

She'd texted a vague message about meeting him in front of his dormitory. Luckily, their universities weren't that far apart, so a ride on a motorcycle was perfectly feasible. He'd been curious, but she had let nothing slip.

When she pulled up to his dorm, she could see his look of astonishment, almost like he didn't believe that this woman driving a motorcycle was his girlfriend. She smirked, deciding to show off a little.

She leaned over and kicked the kickstand up, making sure that everything was secure. Then, placing her hands on her helmet, she whipped it off and shook her head, causing her hair to whip back and forth, fluffing it up somewhat from being contained inside the helmet.

She looked over at Akira to see his face beet red, his mouth agape and ogling everywhere from her face, to her body, to her bike.

However, Makoto hadn't gone for her Queen look completely, as she was wearing regular clothes. The biker outfit might have been a little too much.

After a minute of silence, Makoto decided to speak up. "So," she murmured in a low voice – she knew that tone drove him crazy. "Do you feel like going on a ride with me?"

Akira blinked quickly and closed his mouth, trying to regain some of his composure. "M-Makoto…?"

She laughed. "Yes, Akira?"

"You look… _amazing_ …"

Makoto blushed at the sincerity of his compliment. "Thank you." She hung her helmet on one of the handles. "My offer stands. I'd love to take you out somewhere… if you have the time of course."

Akira nodded quickly. "I always have time for you. Plus… I don't think I could leave now, even if I wanted to." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

Makoto giggled as well. "That's very sweet, Akira. Then here." She pulled out the spare helmet that had been attached to the bike. "This isn't the safest way to store a helmet, but now that it's yours, you can hold onto it." She smiled, offering it to her boyfriend.

Akira grinned. "Thanks, Makoto. I'll treasure it." He walked over and accepted the gift, securing it onto his head. It was a bit of a struggle to get it over his fluffy hair, but he managed.

"Now then. Just hop on the back, and we'll be all set!" Makoto tapped the seat behind her, then turned around to face forward again.

She figured that it would take Akira some time to figure out how to get situated on the motorcycle, so she busied herself with getting it ready to move. To her surprise, Akira plopped down rather quickly and wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing tightly.

She could feel a blush beginning to form, so she quickly whipped her helmet back on and slammed it down on her head, hurting herself a bit in the process. She shook her head to clear it and revved the engine to life, kicking the kickstand back up.

"Ready, Akira?" She shouted to heard.

"Ready!" He shouted back, squeezing her a little bit more.

With that, Makoto pulled out onto the road, and the two began their ride through the city.

Unfortunately, the two couldn't go too fast while within the city, since there were traffic lights and pedestrians. Once they made it out of the city limits and onto some back roads, however, they were able to enjoy their joyride a little bit more.

Akira in particular seemed to be enjoying himself, which made Makoto happy, since that was her intention. After a while, he had leaned forward to rest his head on her shoulder, which Makoto absolutely loved. She really appreciated the fact that he was able to lean on her (quite literally) for support, since he had done so much to support her in the past, and continued to now.

Eventually, Makoto pulled into a gas station to fill up on gas, since she had travelled all the way from her dormitory to her boyfriend's, and had then gone on this trip. While she filled up, Akira decided that _they_ should fill up, so he went into the store portion to buy something for the two of them to snack on.

Makoto finished and pulled over to the side of the building, which was a little less busy. She figured that they could take a break here.

"Here we are. Chips for the both of us." Makoto turned her head to see Akira walking over to her, with two small bags in his hands. She nodded her thanks as he handed her one, and she opened it as he sat himself down next to her.

"So. Now that my heartrate has gone back down to a healthy level, I have to ask… when did you buy a _motorcycle_?" He opened his bag, crunching a few chips.

Makoto swallowed what she had been eating. "A few days ago, actually, though I'd planned on it for a while."

"I see. And I assume this has something to do with Queen?" He smiled.

"You could say that." Makoto busied herself with the chips again for a moment. "This might sound a tad juvenile, but… I had always wanted to do something similar to this when we travelled in Mementos. But there were so many people that we had to ride in Mona, so I never suggested it."

"That _is_ unfortunate. We should've snuck down there by ourselves." Akira sighed.

"I suppose we could have done that, but with the way everyone's minds work, and that fact that we were dating… they… might have taken it the wrong way." Makoto blushed, thinking about what the others would have been thinking about.

"They wouldn't have had to know. Besides, why would we do those things in a place where Shadows were trying to kill us when we could do them in each other's respective rooms?" Akira smirked at the graduated student council president.

"You act like we didn't already do that…" She murmured, blushing as she remembered certain… special evenings with the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

"Indeed. Though it usually wasn't on my initiative. You were… very aggressive when you needed to be." Akira laughed as Makoto made a choking sound.

"T-This isn't what we're supposed to be talking about!"

"I'm just saying, I deeply appreciate the fact that you were able to have some of that Persona passion leak out into the real world."

Makoto slapped his arm with her free hand. "Stop teasing me!"

Akira snorted. "Save that for another time, _Queen_ ," he practically purred.

Makoto felt as though her head might explode. "I-I… y-you… argh!" She snatched the nearly-empty bag of chips out of her boyfriend's hand and stormed over to the trash can to deposit them, needing to get away from Akira before he said or did anything else suggestive.

Said boyfriend was laughing heartily, which was drawing quite a few stares. How could this have happened? Makoto had started this date with every intention of flustering _him_ , and now here she was, a blushing mess. He drove her crazy, in similar ways that she drove _him_ crazy.

But she wouldn't want to have it any other way.

* * *

 _I didn't start thinking of this until I started writing the one-shot, but I can definitely see the Phantom Thieves calling each other by their code names for more… intimate encounters. Anyway, see you tomorrow!_


	16. Ryuji x Futaba

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _I think this particular pairing is cute. I can see Ryuji being super protective of Futaba, and having that progress into something more. Honestly, before this challenge, I hadn't really considered it. But now, I think I really like it!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Training:

Ryuji x Futaba

-Ryuji-

"Alright! It's a great day to be alive, huh, Futaba?"

"I want to die."

"Hey come on. Cheer up!"

It was a sunny afternoon, a few hours after school on a Saturday. Ryuji was ecstatic, as this meant that there were no classes to suffer through until Monday. Plus, he had been so busy the past couple of days that he'd hardly managed to be outside. On top of that, he was spending this time with his girlfriend.

However, said girlfriend did not seem to see things his way.

The two of them were standing on the track field, which was mostly empty since practice had ended a while ago. Ryuji was wearing his standard gym uniform, while Futaba had borrowed Haru's seeing that she didn't have one herself. The bubbly senior had gladly lent it to her, happy that the younger girl was serious about getting herself in shape.

Even though Haru was the shortest out of the older girls in the Phantom Thieves, she was still a fair amount taller than Futaba, so the hacker had had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs so that she wouldn't end up tripping over herself.

Ryuji found this adorable.

But then again, he found most things about his girlfriend to be that way.

Futaba strode over to the boy and slapped his arm, which actually stung a bit. "No way! You said we were gonna warm up, but I feel like I'm gonna pass out right here, right now!"

Ryuji laughed and rubbed his arm. "Aw, don't be like that, Futaba! 50 jumping jacks is nothin'!"

Futaba huffed and crossed her arms. "For you, maybe. For me, it's like… if someone asked you to pass a math test!"

Ouch. Still, Ryuji knew she didn't really mean it. And it was funny for him to see her so frustrated. "Ha. Guess you've got a point. But now we've gotta pick up the pace, baby!"

Futaba groaned. "I'm supposed to get in better shape, not die. Is that what you're trying to do, Ryuji? Are you trying to kill your girlfriend?"

The blonde grinned. "Nope. Not yet anyway. Besides, if you don't get in better shape, how are we supposed to do couple stuff?"

The girl blushed, her face resembling a ripe tomato. "R-Ryuji! H-how could you even –?"

Ryuji laughed, knowing that she would take the bait. "I mean dancing or going on hikes and stuff. What did _you_ think I meant, Futaba?"

Futaba glared at the boy. "Shut up! That's not what you were implying, and you know it!"

Ryuji laughed and leaned forward, wrapping the girl in a tight hug. "Who knew that our youngest member had the dirtiest mind? You'd put some of us guys to shame!"

Futaba flailed in his grasp. "Shut up!"

But Ryuji would not relent. "Aw come on! You know you love me!"

"I love _you_ , not whatever the heck _that_ was!"

"Thanks, babe."

With that, Ryuji lifted the girl into the air, appreciating how she simultaneously held onto him for dear life, while at the same time flailed even more to try and escape.

"P-put me down!"

"Nah."

"Ryuji!"

This exchange went on for some time, with Futaba seemingly desperate to both hold onto him as well as escape him. Eventually, the girl went limp, panting heavily.

"C-can't… move…"

"You're so dramatic, Futaba." Ryuji chuckled as he set the girl down but maintained his hold on her. "But hey, guess what? That was a whole lotta exercise you just got in there. For me too!"

Futaba said nothing. Apparently, she was still getting her breath back.

While she recovered, Ryuji took the time to comfort his girlfriend, knowing that she was going through all of this struggle, not only to benefit herself, but to make him happy as well. She'd chide him and the like, but ultimately, she would go out of her way to keep his spirits up. Her goofy and dramatic behavior was like a shot of adrenaline, and Ryuji truly appreciated it.

The boy moved his face down to the side of her neck, placing some gentle kisses there. There was some residual sweat there, but Ryuji didn't mind. Heck, the two would kiss after his extreme workouts, so this little bit of sweat was nothing.

Futaba's breathing rate and heart rate slowed as she registered what was happening, and she hummed a bit as she nuzzled closer to him.

The two stayed like this for a few minutes, the warm sunlight making this an altogether more pleasant experience.

Eventually, Ryuji let go and stepped back, wanting to continue the workout. "I know I'm pretty irresistible, Futaba, but we've gotta keep goin'."

Futaba chuckled as she straightened her glasses, which had gone somewhat askew during the entire exchange. "Mweh heh heh. My diabolical plan almost worked!"

"Buuut it didn't, so enough of the smug attitude, Ms. Genius," Ryuji chided, punching her shoulder lightly.

"Alright, alright. What's next on the agenda?" Futaba's eyes gleamed in excitement. She was never one to back down from a challenge, even if it was a strain on her.

"We are going for a run," Ryuji declared, swinging his arm across the vast expanse of the track. "I'm thinkin' five laps or so." He laughed as Futaba's eyes popped out of her head.

"Whut? Nu-uh! I am _not_ running that!"

"Ah ah ah. I think you'll be singing a different tune once I give you some… incentive." He winked.

Futaba crossed her arms. "Nope. No amount of snuggle-time or kisses will make me do this."

Ryuji smirked. "Interesting that your thoughts went there again." Before Futaba could protest, Ryuji bent over and reached into the gym bag that he had packed especially for this occasion. "But that's not quite what I had in mind." He stood back up, a game cartridge in his hand.

Futaba's eyes sparkled. "Is that –?"

"The latest and greatest sequel to Punch Ouch… Punch Ouch Slam!" Ryuji waved the copy in front of her face, chuckling at the way her eyes followed its every movement.

"B-but, it's not being released until next week! How did you –?"

"I know a guy who works at the videogame store. He set a copy aside for me." He dropped the game down to his side, where Futaba's gaze followed. "You can totally have it…. if you can catch me, that is!"

Futaba looked back up to Ryuji's face, eyes focused and determined. "You are _so_ on. I'll get that game no matter what the cost!"

Ryuji kicked the track as he spun on his heel, ready to run. "Now _that's_ more like it, Futaba! We'll get you in fighting shape!" With that, he began to run.

And he was somewhat surprised when he found a slightly crazed Futaba right next to him.

* * *

 _There we go! I actually had to look up what games were in Persona 5 (I never had the time to play them, so I didn't know what any of them were)! Did you like the title of the sequel that I made up? See you tomorrow!_


	17. Akira x Ann

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Here's another pretty popular pairing!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Bright:

Akira x Ann

-Akira-

Life was rough.

There were so many problems with the world, so many injustices, and Akira had suffered a few firsthand. How he'd been sued over doing the right thing, which was followed by him being ostracized by his peers at school. The leader of the Phantom Thieves was able to gather so many people for his cause because he had personally experienced what happened when justice was nowhere to be found.

Life had been cold and unfeeling for Akira. Before his sentencing, he had lived a fairly normal life, though it was… bland for lack of a better term. He'd had a few acquaintances, but no real close friends. He was surviving, but not exactly thriving.

Then, he had met a girl. Someone who didn't shy away from him in fear or disgust, because she knew the feeling of being on the receiving end of a horrible rumor.

Ann Takamaki.

Everyone had heard the rumors about her and Kamoshida. And they were despicable. But none of them were even remotely true.

Eventually, once the smoke had cleared and everyone had realized how wrong they had been, things got a little bit easier. And Akira had finally been able to voice the feelings that he had developed for the strong-willed girl. He'd been more than a little surprised when she had reciprocated.

Once they began dating, Akira's life… brightened. Ann was like the sun, filled with light and warmth. It would have been so easy for her to remain jaded, to lash out at the world and become bitter. Akira had honestly been on that path himself.

But Ann never succumbed to any of that. Sure, she'd have arguments with Ryuji here and there, and would be embarrassed by other members of the Phantom Thieves, but those interactions were all light-hearted.

Ann made it a point to laugh every day – she'd told Akira this when they first started dating. There was always a bright side as long as you had friends and family who helped you figure out what they were. There were struggles and dark times of course, but the pain from these moments could be balanced out somewhat if one made the effort to spend time doing things that made him or her happy with loved ones.

Akira depended on Ann for this reason. She would show him that life had a point, and that there were bright spots that even made it enjoyable.

One day, the two of them had feasted on a deluxe crepe at one of Ann's favorite eateries. When it had almost been finished, Akira remembered seeing a devious glint in her eyes before she slammed the crepe in his face, smearing a generous helping of cream on his cheek. She had laughed and swiped some of with her finger, licking it and saying how tasty it was. He'd chuckled at the pure ridiculousness of it all.

Another time, Ann had hugged him for ten minutes straight. Akira had enjoyed the hug for the first minute or two, but after he had tried to pull away, Ann had defiantly pulled him back, saying that she wasn't finished. Akira had asked her the reason behind the long hug, and she had simply said "just because".

Deep down, Akira believed that she knew of his internal struggles. He knew that she had them too.

But while his strength was remaining calm and composed to be able to lead his team, her strength was to boost morale. She'd become a true friend to Makoto when she had needed one, and she had given Futaba a reason to continue living. She had been kind and understanding with Yusuke and his eccentricities, and she'd respect Ryuji even through their most heated arguments. Ann had even lent an ear to Haru's and Akechi's problems. And she was always there to listen to Morgana when he expressed his doubts.

Simply put, Ann was a beacon of light for everyone to follow. She was one of the first examples of what could happen when justice was served. Had it not been for the Phantom Thieves… who knew where she would have ended up.

But because she was saved, she was able to save others. Her bubbly and outgoing personality was able to light up even the darkest of minds.

The Phantom Thieves may have saved her, but Ann had forever rescued Akira from a terrible fate as well.

* * *

 _She really is a bright and outgoing person, isn't she? It makes sense that her Persona uses fire!_

 _Anyway, tomorrow is a bit of a special one-shot, for reasons that I will explain in that author's notes. See you tomorrow!_


	18. Makoto x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _As I said in the previous author's note, this story is a significant one. And that is because it is my favorite pairing of Persona 5. These two characters are my favorite (Makoto) and second favorite (Haru), but that doesn't necessarily mean that they would go together romantically. For me, though, I think it really works!_

 _Whether you love it, hate it, or don't care one way or another, that's what this one-shot is about!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Simple:

Makoto x Haru

-Haru-

Haru was complete.

Curled up against her girlfriend, Haru had never really felt this way before. She was slightly smaller, which worked out quite well, seeing as Makoto tended to be the one who would surround Haru with her warmth.

Even though Haru adored little moments of flirtation, kissing, and sometimes more, it was a moment like this that she truly appreciated.

The two were currently sitting on Makoto's bed, with the owner of said bed sitting up and leaning against the headboard. Haru was curled up against her chest, sitting in between the other girl's legs. She could hear Makoto's heartbeat from where her head rested, a steady and reassuring tempo.

It was so different from her previous relationship… if one could call it that.

With Sugimura, everything had been… confrontational, complicated, conditional. The two of them had hugged and kissed, but it was always for a reason – it was always for show. The two of them had never really had a quiet moment between them. The only times they showed caring and consideration was when they were around other people, such as his parents or her own father.

With Makoto, everything was… easy-going, unconditional, and simple. The two of them hugged and kissed, and it was never for show. To be fair, when they had first started dating, they might have _shown-off_ a little bit, as many new couples did, but they genuinely cared about each other first and foremost.

With Sugimura, moments of intimacy were few and far between. The two had never progressed past lustful kissing. Looking back, Haru regretted kissing him so passionately, as she had never truly felt that way towards him. He had pushed the matter more so, and Haru had just gone along with it. But it never went further than that. Haru could sense that he had wanted to do more, but luckily, he had never forced her. Had she become his wife, that could have been a different story.

With Makoto, moments of intimacy were more plentiful, almost to an embarrassing degree. The two had progressed past passionate kissing… in fact, they had a few times. Haru never regretted these moments, as they had felt… so right. When she was with Makoto, she felt safe, warm, and loved.

With Sugimura… but then, Haru realized, she shouldn't think about him anymore. He was a creep, someone who had abused her emotionally, and someone who didn't deserve to be a part of her life anymore.

Now… she was with Makoto, and _that_ was what she should focus on.

Snuggling up to her girlfriend, Haru moved her face into the girl's neck, nuzzling her there. She felt Makoto's hands roam up and down the back of her shirt, fingers tracing the dips and curves of her spine and her shoulder blades.

It was funny. When the two of them were with the others, Makoto was serious, level-headed, and sharp-tongued. Of course, there were moments where she'd unintentionally embarrass herself (Haru was disappointed to have to hear second-hand how she had clung to Akira like a child when the Phantom Thieves had visited the Sakura household in the dark instead of witnessing it herself), but Makoto tended to maintain an air of cool confidence in their group of friends.

But when they were alone together, Makoto tended to be a much more passionate person. She'd confided in Haru early on in their relationship that she felt strong and intense emotions much of the time, but that she hid them away. She had to constantly rein herself in, which made Haru somewhat sad, but she could understand. Wearing one's emotions on one's sleeve did not get a person very far in life. Why else would so many people have palaces? So many of life's feelings had to be dimmed or repressed entirely in order to function in society.

However, Haru was proud to know that when Makoto was around her, she felt comfortable opening up and expressing all of her emotions. Haru had been surprised to learn firsthand how… passionately the student council president would express her obviously strong feelings towards the other girl. Of course, Haru enjoyed returning that affection tenfold. It was honestly a surprise that neither of them had accidently hurt each other yet.

But for every intense bout of passion, there was a soft and calm moment like this one. Haru leaned into Makoto, placing some gentle kisses along her neck. One of Makoto's hands reached up into her hair as she began to thread her fingers through it.

The two of them had suffered in life, and had had to bury their feelings deep within as a result. But it was nice to be able to let all of their emotions out in ways like these. There was no judgment, and comfort was always a hug, a kiss, or a smile away.

It was simple, and something like that was always welcome in her life.

Before too long, Haru began to feel herself fade into slumber. Her kisses stopped and she tilted her head so that it leaned more against the other girl's shoulder.

It seemed that Makoto sensed her impending sleep as well, as she stopped running her hands across Haru's back and through her hair, and simply tightened her hold, making sure that she wouldn't tumble off of the bed.

Haru honestly loved that about Makoto. How she was firm, yet gentle, and was able to support her both physically and emotionally. She hoped that Makoto felt similarly about her.

A murmured exchange of love, a kiss on her head, and Haru was asleep.

* * *

And it was that simple.

 _How goes it? This was somewhat of a struggle to write – trying to balance the comfort of this relationship with the distress of the previous relationship, while at the same time mentioning how they still have to sort of hide emotions in public. Plus, it's always difficult (at least for me) to have no talking in stories that I write, but hey, this round robin should used to try different styles, right?_

 _Even though this is my favorite pairing, this is not my favorite one-shot. You will see which one that is when this challenge ends. See you tomorrow!_


	19. Futaba x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Here is another pairing with Haru – I hope that you aren't getting sick of her!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

When Deer Attack:

Futaba x Haru

-Haru-

"Okay. So it was totally worth the six hour drive for this alone!"

"I had a feeling that you would like it."

Futaba and Haru were currently in Nara Park, a place known for its Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. But also for one other thing.

Deer. Lots and lots of deer. Over 1,200 at last count.

When the Phantom Thieves had gone on yet another road trip, Haru recommended that this location be one of their stops. Everyone had agreed eagerly, but Futaba had been confused.

It was at that point that Haru realized that her girlfriend had no idea of the wildlife contained within Nara Park. So, she decided that she would surprise the young girl. She had made everyone sworn to secrecy, even though Futaba had all begged them individually throughout the trip for any clue whatsoever.

However, it seemed that Futaba was just as eager to have this be a surprise for her as Haru was, since the hacker could have easily searched for the information on her phone, but never did.

Currently, the rest of the group was visiting one of the temples, which gave Haru ample time to spend admiring the world-famous deer with the younger girl.

Futaba excitedly grabbed hold of Haru's arm, shaking her. Haru was used to this amount of energy from her girlfriend, but it still caused her head to wobble back and forth.

"We must pet the fluffy!" Futaba commanded, dragging the older girl towards one of the deer, who was looking at them expectantly.

"Wait just one second, Futaba!" Haru pulled the girl back, which caused her to squawk in surprise and fall against her. Haru wrapped an arm around the shorter girl to prevent her from charging off again. "We should purchase some food for them, right? We can't just pet them and give nothing in return."

Futaba relaxed against her. "I guess you're right. But I didn't bring anything with me!" She smacked her head back to hit Haru, and due to their height difference, she ended up smacking her right in her windpipe.

Haru gagged at the sensation and let go, coughing. Futaba clearly hadn't realized that was what would happen, and she wrapped her arm around the other girl, rubbing her back gently. "Whoops! Sorry about knocking the wind outta ya!"

Haru coughed one more time before regaining her composure. "It's fine, Futaba. I'm honestly used to it by now. You are fairly clumsy." She smiled.

Futaba blushed but smiled as well. "Why I oughta –"

"Anyway. We must buy food! Come with me, Futaba!" With that, Haru grabbed onto the younger girl's hand and pulled her towards one of the food carts, pretending not to hear her complaints at being interrupted.

The crackers themselves were inexpensive, but Haru covered the cost anyway, wanting to treat her girlfriend. Futaba nodded in appreciation as she took a packet.

"And now to feed… whoa!"

Both girls had turned around, expecting to have to make their way back over to the group of deer that had been a fair distance away. But when they turned, they were immediately greeted with a dozen of the creatures surrounding them, with even more trotting their way over.

"I see that the deer are as aggressive as advertised." Haru giggled, smiling as she watched a few of the deer nuzzle into Futaba's side.

"Whoa! H-hey there, guys. There's plenty for all of you!" Futaba seemed nervous yet pleased. She reached into the packet that she held in her hands and withdraw a cracker, chuckling as a deer snatched it out of her hands and began to crunch on it noisily.

"Futaba. Let me show you something." Haru slowly pulled a cracker out of her container, and then calmly bowed her head slightly to a deer that was directly in front of her.

Futaba was looking at her with a puzzled expression. "Huh? Why're you bowing to a deer, Haru? That doesn't make any –"

The hacker cut herself off with a gasp as she watched the deer bow its head back before straightening back up and gently taking the cracker from Haru's outstretched hand.

As it chewed, Futaba looked at Haru and exclaimed, "No way! How'd you get it to do that?"

Haru smiled. "Well, there are a variety of myths about how it possibly began, but the most likely explanation is that it's a learned behavior to receive food." She bowed at another deer, who bowed its head back as well before taking a cracker from her. "It didn't happen as much at first, but now all tourists perform it, so it just reinforces the behavior."

Futaba nodded thoughtfully. "I see… hey wait!" Evidently, some of the deer had perceived Futaba's head-nodding as a bow, and several had returned the gesture before diving in to sneak some crackers.

Haru laughed as Futaba struggled to keep up with the demands of the hungry deer, and before too long, she was out of crackers completely.

The younger girl turned sheepishly towards the older one. "Heh heh… Do you think we could get some more? These guys are more like pigs than deer!"

Haru giggled and nodded. "Of course, Futaba. You can take what's left of mine, and I'll go get us some more." She turned and took only a few steps to reach the vendor, who gave her a knowing smile as the two exchanged.

When Haru turned back, she saw that Futaba was already running low. Shaking her head, Haru nudged her with her shoulder to get her attention. "Why don't we move away where there's some more space?"

Futaba nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan!"

The two girls walked away towards a more open area of the park, amused at the pack of deer that flocked after them. As they moved, a couple of the deer were nudging their sides, even partially lifting up their shirts.

"Ah! These deer are a bunch of _pervs_!" Futaba screeched jokingly, gently swatting them away.

"They'll do anything for food, that's for sure," Haru commented, pushing a few away herself.

Eventually, the two stopped in a large grassy field, where they noticed many other tourists had ended up as well. They spent the next few minutes bowing and feeding, making sure that all of the deer had an equal chance.

Haru watched as Futaba reached out and pet a deer on its nose, commenting on how soft it felt. "It's like… velvet!" Her smiled widened as the deer nudged its head deeper into her palm, clearly wanting more attention.

A young buck then made its way over to the two of them, and Haru softly traced her fingers along his antlers, marveling at the fact that he didn't shy or pull away like most animals would.

"Whoa… Haru, you must have come here all the time as a kid. You know exactly how to interact with them!" Futaba watched in awe.

Haru shook her head. "Actually, this is the first time that I've visited. I'd heard about it, of course, but nothing more."

Futaba shook her head, but hers was in disbelief. "Then you must be the deer-whisperer or something!"

The older girl smiled. "Perhaps. I think it's just being gentle and calm that gets the deer to trust you. Well, that and feeding them!" She handed a cracker to the buck, who snatched it up eagerly.

Suddenly, Haru felt a warmth at her side. Turning her head, she realized that Futaba was hugging her with one arm and continuing to feed the deer with the other. "That's a good point. You've always had such a sweet disposition." She squeezed.

Haru felt that warmth travel up to her face as it reddened slightly. "Thank you, Futaba. That was very sweet yourself." The two continued to stand there in a comfortable silence, feeding the deer until their stockpiles ran out.

Once the deer had realized that there was no longer any food, they turned and walked away towards another tourist who was eagerly handing out crackers.

"Well," Haru looked down at Futaba, who was smiling at her. "I've gotta say… those deer were fluffy, but nowhere near as fluffy as my girlfriend!" She reached up and tousled the older girl's hair affectionately.

Haru giggled. "Why, of course! And while those deer were very cute, they couldn't even begin to compare to _my_ girlfriend." She laughed as Futaba halted her motions and blushed.

"It's so embarrassing when you're so earnest like that." Futaba scratched her nose and chuckled nervously.

"Oh? Well then, how about when I do… this!" Haru ducked her head down slightly and began peppering the younger girl's face with soft kisses, which caused Futaba to blush even further.

"Ha! Okay, okay! I get it!" Futaba pulled away, laughing merrily.

Haru leaned in once more to give a more earnest peck to her cheek.

Nara Park. They would definitely have to return here again someday.

* * *

 _So… cute deer, huh? I knew that I had to include something fluffy when I paired Futaba and Haru together, because I knew that Futaba would definitely do something like play with her girlfriend's fluffy hair. This story was originally just going to be about that, but it seemed a little too… bland._

 _When I asked my sister for suggestions, she mentioned that one of my stories could feature Nara Park, which is known for its deer. I figured that deer were sorta fluffy, so this would work out perfectly! And yes, the deer really will bow if you bow at them. It's pretty cool – I definitely want to go visit there at least once. Look up some videos if you are curious._

 _See you tomorrow!_


	20. Yusuke x Futaba

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Anyone who knows me knows that I love goats, so of course they had to be in one of my stories. It just so happens that this animal one-shot followed my other animal one-shot, but hey, that was up to the random number generator._

 _And yes, this is totally a thing, and it is a thing that I would like to try some day. Plus, this pairing is somewhat popular, so I wanted to pull out all the stops for this one-shot._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Goat Yoga:

Yusuke x Futaba

-Futaba-

"Oh… my… god. This is now officially the best day of my life!" Futaba squealed, leaning forward from where she sat cross-legged on the floor, reaching out to pet the creature in front of her.

Which was a goat.

She couldn't believe it. First of all, how did Yusuke manage to rent a goat? Secondly, how had he gotten it from wherever he had rented it, ridden the subway, and arrived at her room without incident? She asked him all these things, but he refused to answer.

But all those thoughts fled her mind as soon as she saw the little guy, his eyes shining and his tiny tail fluttering happily. It was creating such a strong wind that it was knocking some papers off of her desk, but she couldn't care less.

"I'm glad that you approve. You seemed… less than enthused about participating in yoga, so I figured that some incentive would help." Futaba looked up to see Yusuke smiling down at her, one hand resting on the goat's head.

"Who could say no to this face?" Futaba gushed, scratching under his chin. The goat bleated happily, its tongue sticking out. "So cute!" She giggled.

"Now then. We should begin our yoga session." Yusuke sat down on the ground next to the girl, rolling out a mat that he had brought with him. "We can start with some stretches."

Futaba nodded her head, indicating that she was listening, but still focused her attention on the goat. He was bleating slightly, tilting his head this way and that so that Futaba could pet him at all angles.

"Futaba."

Said girl jumped as Yusuke spoke her name sharply. Reluctantly pulling away from the goat, the hacker looked to Yusuke and followed his motions, becoming limber.

After a few minutes, he deemed them stretched, and began to enter a pose. "Let's start with a child pose, yes? It's one of the simpler ones to execute." He leaned forward on his knees, stretching his arms out to the ground.

"Uh huh." Futaba looked over at the boy and saw that at the angle his head was at, he couldn't see what she was doing. "Perfect," she murmured to herself.

Ever so slowly, she reached her hand back towards thee goat, who noticed her movement and began wagging his tail happily. All was going well until he decided to bleat in excitement.

"Futaba."

"Eep!"

Futaba quickly settled into the pose that Yusuke was performing. Or at least, she tried to.

In her rush to copy him, she slipped forward and was unable to catch herself with her hands, which resulted in her slamming her chin down on the floor. Luckily, she had borrowed one of Yusuke's yoga mats, so she didn't hit it directly on her bedroom floor.

"Ow…"

"Perhaps the goat is too much of a distraction?"

Futaba looked up, startled at the suggestion, and saw Yusuke pondering her with an inquisitive expression.

"No! I'll focus! Don't take Mr. Goat away, Inari!" Futaba pleaded, scuttling back up into a sitting position and clasping her hands together.

Yusuke sighed. "So be it. But please, try to follow what I am doing. It's for your own good, you know." With that, Yusuke entered another pose, with Futaba reluctantly following along.

After a little while, Yusuke finally implemented the goat part of the equation. "Now, I am going to place Billy on your back. He'll be slightly heavy, but try and maintain your balance if you can."

Futaba giggled. "Really? His name is Billy?"

"Yes."

Futaba looked at the artist to see if he understood how ironic his name choice was. When he didn't react, the girl shrugged. "Alright. Lay it on me, Inari!"

"Indeed."

Futaba knelt on the ground and focused on making her back straight so that the goat wouldn't tumble off. Then, ever so gently, she felt four tiny hooves make contact with her back. She squealed.

"So cute!"

"Remain still, Futaba."

She quieted, making sure that she did not move a muscle. She could feel the goat's legs quiver slightly at being on a precarious surface.

"Excellent. He's completely balanced on your back, Futaba. Don't… move…"

Futaba waited. She could hear some clicks from a phone, and she knew instantly that Yusuke was taking pictures of her. "You are totally gonna have to send me those when we're done. It's gonna be my new background."

"Of course."

Eventually, the goat apparently grew bored of standing on Futaba's back, and he sprung off, landing on the girl's bed.

"H-hey! Hold on a second. I don't want him having an accident where I sleep!" Futaba stood up and walked over to the goat, grabbing him around his middle and sitting down on the ground with him in her lap. He bleated at her, nuzzling her face.

Yusuke sat down in front of her, looking at her with interest.

Futaba noticed. "What's up? You wanna play with Billy?" She held out the goat towards him, his tail wiggling.

Yusuke smirked. "Not quite."

And then, he moved forward quickly, until his face was inches from hers.

"Wha—?"

Futaba was silenced as the boy's lips met hers. Inari… no, Yusuke… was kissing her? Since when did he feel that way about her?

But then, Futaba realized she didn't really care. What she did seem to suddenly care about was kissing him back.

She returned the contact fervently, placing Billy down in the process. The two continued to kiss, and it seemed like it was going to head in a pretty heated direction until the goat bleated, shattering the moment.

The two pulled away sheepishly, Yusuke clearing his throat, and Futaba chuckling awkwardly and rubbing the back of her head.

Billy bleated again, seemingly jealous at not receiving any attention.

Futaba reached out with a shaky hand and pet his head. "G-good boy… heh heh…"

"I must say, Billy really is too much of a distraction." Futaba looked over at the boy and saw him smiling and shaking his head at the goat.

"Well, Inari… uh… I mean, Yusuke… I think I really like this goat yoga."

"As do I. Perhaps we should do it again sometime?"

Futaba nodded. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

Billy bleated his agreement.

* * *

 _Goats! I love 'em, and hopefully you loved this story!_

 _I could totally see Yusuke and Futaba living together with their pet goat, Billy. It's so ridiculous and cute that it matches their dynamic perfectly._

 _See you tomorrow!_


	21. Akira x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _This spot was originally for the one-shot that is now going to be posted on my birthday. I'm curious to see if anyone has a guess as to what that pairing will be._

 _Anyway, today's one-shot was deemed by the random number generator to be the last pairing, but it was switched, so now it is here! Now, I know that this is an extremely popular pairing, so we will see how this goes._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Detective Prince:

Akira x Goro

-Goro-

Making a great first impression was always important. No one knew that more than Goro Akechi.

As far back as he could remember, Goro would make the extra effort to appear poised and confident. He carefully crafted an air of intelligence and kindness, to appear as an expert on all things related to law enforcement.

Goro was smart, and he knew it. It would have been so easy to flaunt this aspect of himself, but he was not only academically intelligent… he also had street smarts.

If he did flaunt his success, people wouldn't like him. They would mark him as arrogant, and would therefore disqualify anything that he said, even if it were true. So, he had to make sure that he remained humble above all else, at least on the surface.

Another way that he would impress others would be how he dressed. Goro was fortunate enough to go to a relatively prestigious high school, and their uniforms followed that tone. A nice, crisp jacket, black pants and shoes, and black tie completed the look. It gave off an air of simplistic sophistication, which tied into the attitude that he maintained.

Goro added the black gloves for a multitude of reasons, but the main one was to add to this gentlemanly appearance. It made him look a little bit older, and he could use as much help as he could get in that department. He'd observed first-hand how many of Sae's superiors would make subtle negative comments about her work performance, saying how she didn't deserve to be where she was given her inexperience. It was also due somewhat to her gender, but Goro knew that many older adults frowned upon the younger generation if they were seen as not knowing their place.

An additional benefit of this image was, of course, attracting many fans, girls and boys. They all considered him very attractive, and he used this to his advantage by swaying public opinion. He was so admired and respected that he could say whatever he wanted and others would believe him, even if he contradicted himself or went against logic itself.

All in all, Goro spent years crafting his image, and he believed it had brought him true success. He didn't realize that it could result in something else entirely.

When Goro first started to talk to the leader of the Phantom Thieves, he had thought of him as a true equal. Sure, he was a little unpolished, but Goro could tell that Akira was more than what met the eye.

After the initial meeting, the two spent time together on random days. Sometimes, they would play chess, other days, they would take a trip to the batting cages, and some days, they would simply sit at Leblanc's bar and talk over coffee.

It was during one of these coffee excursions that Akira mentioned something to the detective prince.

"You know," the boy murmured, "you look really great in this tie. It makes you look very… dapper." Akira reached out a hand and touched his fingertips against said article of clothing.

Goro had looked down at his hand, surprised. Akira didn't seem like the touchy-feely type, yet here they were. The detective prince did what he rarely did. He laughed… but he laughed _nervously_. "H-heh. Why thank you, Akira. I appreciate the compliment.

When Akira remained silent, Goro shyly took a sip of his coffee so that he had something to do.

A few moments passed, and neither boy said anything. Goro knew that he must have looked foolish, but he couldn't help but nervously chug down the rest of his drink, not knowing how else to break the tension. Usually, he would be able to make a witty comment or somehow deescalate the situation, but at the moment, he found himself tongue-tied.

When Goro felt a slight pressure on his neck, he looked back over at Akira to see him pulling his tie from side to side. Blushing, Goro was finally able to get some words out. "A-Akira? What are you doing?"

The boy smiled as he let go. The detective prince noticed with a start that his hand brushed against his bare neck, and he shivered slightly at the touch.

Looking into Goro's eyes, Akira murmured, "Your tie was a little uneven, so I decided to straighten it for you. I hope you don't mind." Goro wasn't sure if it was a reflection of light off of the other boy's glasses, but he could have sworn that he winked at him.

The detective prince cleared his throat. "I see. Thank you, Akira. I'll be on the lookout for that from now on."

The two boys engaged in a polite conversation after that, and before too long, it was time for Goro to leave.

They both stood, and Akira reached out his hand. "I'll see you soon?" He smiled.

Goro found his blush from before beginning to resurface. With a gulp, he pushed it down and instead firmly grasped Akira's hand. "Of course." With that, Goro turned and walked out of the store.

As he walked down the street to reach the subway station, he paused. Looking at his reflection in one of the store windows, he honed in on his tie. It looked perfect as always. But if Akira had commented on it… perhaps he was losing his touch?

"No matter." The detective prince slowly reached up and straightened his tie. "I'll just have to make sure that I make the extra effort from now on. I cannot disappoint my fans with a sloppy appearance after all." He smiled to himself.

With that promise in mind, Goro continued to make his way down the street.

And from that day forward, the boy always made sure to straighten his tie, especially when the leader of the Phantom Thieves was around.

* * *

 _One of the many great things about Persona 5 was the style, and that included how all the characters dressed. I was thinking about incorporating this style into one of the stories, and this is the end result! Plus, I think it's kinda cute to think that Goro developed this kind of nervous habit because he wanted to impress someone he had a crush on._

 _See you tomorrow!_


	22. Makoto x Futaba

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Now we have my favorite character with my sister's favorite character._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

An Amusing Date:

Makoto x Futaba

-Futaba-

A day at the amusement park. It was something that she could handle. Probably.

"Futaba. How are you feeling?"

The aforementioned girl looked to her right and up slightly. She could see her teammate and (technically) senpai, Makoto Niijima, watching her with slight concern. It was flattering, to be sure, but Futaba was a little bit (okay, so a _lot_ bit) nervous at what this afternoon would bring.

Forcing a tight smile, Futaba answered the older girl. "I'm great! Okay, maybe more good. Or really just okay? I, uh, ha ha, you know I'm… conscious." She inwardly cursed at herself. This was no good. How could she possibly survive an entire afternoon at the amusement park if she was already a mess at the ticket counter?

Makoto looked at her with a doubtful expression. "I'm not sure if that tone bodes well for the rest of today." It always surprised Futaba how often the two of them would be on the same page. Though in this situation, it didn't take a lot of intuition or deduction to figure out how the younger girl was feeling.

"Perhaps we should try something else today and return here another day?"

Futaba shook her head sharply at her companion's suggestion. They had to do this, or else she would relapse into her asocial tendencies. Okay, so maybe that was _slightly_ dramatic, but regardless, Futaba wanted to do this. Plus, the thought of spending an entire afternoon at an amusement park with Makoto… made her heart beat just a little bit faster, but in a good way.

In a _very_ good way.

At the rejection of her offer, Makoto blinked once, and then smiled gently. "I figured that would be your answer. Futaba, you really are getting much better about speaking your mind and taking chances. I could honestly learn from you, myself."

Futaba blushed at the compliment. "Heh. Th-thanks, Makoto."

"Of course. Now then, let me purchase our tickets." The older girl reached into her purse and took out the required amount for two tickets, handing it to the man at the counter. Futaba had initially voiced her disdain at the fact that the other girl would be paying for her ticket as well, but Makoto had insisted, saying how it had been her idea in the first place to come here. After a brief back-and-forth, Futaba had ultimately relented.

Once the transaction was complete, the two girls walked through the entrance and into the park. There was a fair amount of chatter and smells, and it slightly overwhelmed the hacker.

"S-so! What do ya wanna do first, Makoto?" Futaba exclaimed, trying to at least act confident.

It seemed that her companion did not totally buy it, but to Futaba's immense relief, she didn't push the matter. "I figured we could start small. Maybe go on some of the slower rides or play some games, and then work our way up to the roller coasters."

Futaba nodded. "Sounds logical."

Makoto chuckled. "I'm glad. Now then." The older girl held out her arm, offering it to Futaba.

Futaba blushed at the action. Sure, it was probably just a friendly gesture from the other girl – something like a senpai helping her kouhai. But to Futaba… it was more than that.

Futaba had come to terms with her crush some time ago. She had always been close to the other girl – Makoto had been one of the first ones in the Phantom Thieves to offer help, to rescue her from her tomb. And the older girl had a tendency to be touchy-feely with her.

When Futaba had had to face her inner shadow, it had been Makoto who had supported her with a gentle hand on her back, comforting her with her reassuring presence. At the time, Futaba hadn't thought anything of it. But now that she was seeing more of the world and experiencing relationships with other people, she realized that the warm, bubbly feeling that she experienced whenever she was around the older girl was that of attraction.

Initially, Futaba had denied her newfound feelings, thinking that things could only end badly for her. Makoto was her senior by about two years, and she most definitely thought of her as a younger sister. She had admitted this to Futaba herself in one of the quiet moments that they had shared together.

But still, Futaba couldn't just bury her feelings. And she had _tried_. Ultimately, this caused more pain and confusion than just admitting to herself that she had fallen head-over-heels for the strategic planner of the Phantom Thieves. So for now, she would accept that, and hope that eventually her feelings would fade, or that Makoto would start to date someone else and therefore make it impossible for anything to happen between them.

Snapping back to reality, Futaba smiled at the older girl and murmured her thanks, slowly wrapping both of her arms around the other girl's. With a squeeze (which caused Futaba to stumble a little bit towards her), the older girl began to walk forward.

"I was thinking that we could go on the monorail first. It's pretty tame, and that way we can get an overview of the park and figure out where to go next. How does that sound?" Makoto didn't look at Futaba as she strode forward, most likely making sure that they didn't bump into anyone.

Calming slightly at the cool air of confidence the older girl was giving off, Futaba gave a genuine smile. "Sounds good to me!"

"Excellent."

The two girls walked over to the monorail, which, not surprisingly, did not have a line. It was a holiday after all, and most kids their age were spending all the time that they could on the craziest roller coasters.

Entering inside the vehicle, the two sat across from each other, close to the window so that they had a view of the park.

"This is just like looking out from Necronomicon!" Futaba pressed her hands and face up against the window, looking out at the admittedly spectacular view.

She heard Makoto chuckle. "No doubt. You should be able to navigate the park pretty quickly after scanning it on this ride."

The girl turned back to look at the other girl. "You bet! Oracle is on the case!" She flashed a peace sign and a wide grin. Makoto shook her head and said nothing, a small smile appearing on her face.

The ride started after their exchange, and the two girls looked out, watching as the people and rides slowly drifted by their vision.

Futaba was looking at the assortment of rides when she felt a warmth surrounding her hand.

Breaking her gaze from outside, Futaba looked down at her hand and saw that Makoto had firmly grasped it, rubbing her thumb across her knuckles slightly. Futaba immediately blushed and looked at the other girl's face to see if she could figure out what she was thinking.

Makoto was looking out the window, with the same small smile on her face. If she was thinking about her actions, she was disguising it well.

Futaba decided not to say anything. She figured it was just an unconscious action of protection and comfort on the older girl's part.

She turned back to face the window, and looked out at the incredible view. Occasionally, she would comment about something and Makoto would offer her opinion. The two lapsed into a comfortable give-and-take.

And all the while, Makoto never let go of Futaba's hand.

Eventually, the ride circled back around to its starting point, and the two girls rose together to exit.

"So, which view was most memorable for you, Futaba?" Makoto asked softly. The hacker realized that the two were moving, and the student council president still had not let go of her hand. Futaba considered casually pulling away, since she was feeling incredibly self-conscious. But she didn't want to insult the other girl. Besides, she probably didn't even realize what she was doing.

She was definitely over-thinking it. Instead, Futaba decided to answer her friend's question. "Probably when we saw that guy barf everywhere! He was so close to making it to the trash can too!" She laughed.

Makoto shook her head. "I see. I was thinking something more picturesque, but if you enjoy that view, then that works too."

Now Futaba was getting more into the groove of being at an amusement park. Plus, having her crush gently squeezing her hand gave her a rush of adrenaline. "Hey, Makoto!"

The older girl raised her eyebrows, surprised at Futaba's apparent shift in confidence. "Yes?"

Futaba winked. "I think I want to jump ahead to the end of our list!" She tugged excitedly on her friend's hand, and for the first time that day, _she_ ended up leading the way.

"Whoa! What do you mean, Futaba? Where are we going?" Makoto looked taken aback, but she allowed herself to be dragged to their destination.

"To the scariest, most intense roller coaster in the park, of course! The one that made that dude sick!"

Futaba turned her head to see what the older girl thought of this idea. She noticed with confusion that Makoto's face had paled, and her previous calm demeanor had now vanished. "R-really? I'm surprised that you're ready for that."

The hacker laughed again. "Well, that guy was probably a wimp. _We're_ not gonna be intimidated by a silly roller coaster, right, Makoto?" When Makoto didn't respond, Futaba stopped. Squeezing the other girl's hand she repeated in a subdued tone, "Right, Makoto?"

The student council president was looking at Futaba with apprehension, and (Futaba noticed with a start) her hand was _shaking_. Was the cool and confident Makoto Niijima afraid of roller coasters?

"Makoto," she murmured. "Don't tell me that you're scared of roller coasters?"

She shook her head. "N-not all of them. Just the more intense ones. I have no problems with spinning or speed or going upside-down." She gulped. "It's… the drop that gets to me the most."

"Hm." Futaba hummed. She was confused. Why would Makoto offer to go to an amusement park if she were scared of one of the main attractions? She voiced these thoughts to the girl.

Makoto squeezed her hand. "Well, I am fine with most of the roller coasters here. Plus, I figured we would work our way up to the more intense ones, if we ever got to them at all." She chuckled. "I suppose this is a bit of a surprise for you. Seeing me all worked up over something as silly as this." She turned away.

Now Futaba was really confused. Was Makoto… actually embarrassed? "Makoto? Hey, there's nothing wrong with having a phobia! Heck, I've got a ton of 'em." She tugged on the girl's hand, which caused her to look back at her. "You _are_ human, ya know! Honestly… it makes me feel a little bit better."

The older girl looked genuinely perplexed. "How so?"

"Well… it makes me feel better about myself. I have a lot of anxieties, and you always seem so cool and above it all. It made me feel… like a little kid sometimes. But now it makes me feel good to know that even people like you can lose their cool every once and a while!"

"People like me?" Makoto put a hand to her chin. "Do I seem like someone who is unapproachable to you?" Futaba sensed a bit of sadness in her tone.

"N-no! Not like… in a bad way or anything. Just that everything seems sorta effortless for you. And I have to try _really_ hard to do a lot of different things!" Futaba realized she drifting into an unusually deep topic of conversation for a casual day out with a friend. "B-but ya know, it's not a big deal! Let's go do something else –" She turned in a random direction, but was stopped by a tug on her hand.

"Hold on, Futaba." Makoto's voice was stern, but not in a cruel way. "I want you to know that… I try really hard as well. It took me years to develop this particular persona." Both girls chuckled at that. "It's only now that I've met all of you that I'm able to return to the type of person that I used to be. I'd like to be more caring… more openly affectionate, if you will. It's just… it is something that I struggle to do after all of this time." She took the hand that had been on her chin to place it on top of Futaba's hand that she had already been holding. Makoto's warmth surrounded her hand, and Futaba felt some of that heat rise up to her face. "But please. If I ever seem too distant, let me know. The last thing I want is for us to grow apart."

Futaba nodded. Wow. She'd had no idea how… insecure Makoto really was. It also made Futaba really pleased that the older girl trusted her enough to share these thoughts with her, as it seemed that Makoto had privately struggled with them for a while.

Ecstatic that she was finally the one to be able to offer comfort, Futaba didn't hesitate. "I will, Makoto." She squeezed her hand, grinning when she felt a strong response. It seemed that the older girl was no longer as scared or as nervous as she had been before.

Makoto returned her smile. "Excellent. Then let us go to the roller coaster that will make us sick!"

Futaba laughed. "You seem very enthusiastic about that."

Makoto turned in the direction of the ride and began to walk, with Futaba trotting along next to her, their hands still connected. "Not particularly, but I would like to emulate you, Futaba. And if you're able to go outside your comfort zone with an amusement park, then I will as well by riding this roller coaster!"

"Yeah! First one to get sick is the loser!" Futaba laughed maniacally as Makoto shook her head.

Eventually, the two girls arrived at the roller coaster. There was a long line, so the two waited patiently.

Futaba could see that the older girl's nerves were catching back up with her, so the hacker spent the majority of the time that they were in line telling corny jokes and the like to distract her. It seemed to work, and by the time the two stepped onto the ride, Makoto seemed more apprehensive than outright terrified.

The two were strapped in with both seatbelts and bars that went over their shoulders, and Futaba looked over at Makoto to see her anxiously grabbing the bars, her knuckles white.

"Makoto!"

The girl in question looked over at Futaba, who was flashing the peace sign at her. "You've got this!"

Makoto smiled nervously, giving Futaba a shaky thumbs-up.

The ride lurched to a start, and Makoto gave a slight squeak of terror. Futaba couldn't move much because of the restraints, but she did her best to give her a pat on the arm.

Then, the worst part of the ride (according to Makoto) arrived. The roller coasted stopped at the crest of the hill, and then it quickly descended.

Futaba lifted her arms up and gave a loud "whoop" of excitement. She was surprised to hear… nothing from her side. Once they had gotten to the bottom and were speeding along, Futaba turned her head to see that Makoto's was lolling to the side. Had she actually…?

"Makoto!?" Futaba raised her hand to shake her arm. She received no response from the older girl.

The hacker was torn between genuine concern and mirth. She couldn't believe it! Makoto had actually passed out! She knew that some people were prone to that, but she had never actually seen it in real life herself. She'd watched videos online and thought that it was ridiculous, but it apparently did happen.

Eventually, the ride came to an end, and Makoto had thankfully regained consciousness. Futaba didn't want her to go through the embarrassment of others seeing that she had passed out.

"F-Futaba…? Wha…?" Makoto slurred, her eyes blinking rapidly.

Futaba smiled. "I'll tell you in a minute. Right now, let's get off the ride."

The older girl nodded and stood, swaying slightly. She was forced to lean on the shorter girl for support, who felt a thrill a pride run through her at the thought of being able to help the student council president.

The two walked away and found an empty bench to sit on. Pulling Makoto down onto it, Futaba encouraged the girl to lean her head on her shoulder, which she did.

"Now then. What exactly happened on the ride? I can't… seem to remember much of anything after the initial climb."

Futaba giggled. "Oh. You totally passed out."

Makoto's head shot up, but a groan shortly followed, and she laid her head gently back onto Futaba's shoulder. "You must be joking."

Futaba nuzzled her head with hers. "Nope! But hey, at least you didn't throw up!"

Makoto hummed. "I… suppose that's true. Hm…" Futaba felt the older girl's head grow heavier, and she realized that she must be falling asleep for real now.

"Hey. We've gotta go do the rest of the park! We can nap later." Futaba bonked the girl's head with her own, which caused Makoto to twitch in surprise.

"Oh! You're right, Futaba. There's plenty more for us to do."

The rest of the day was spent in a much calmer fashion now that the two of them had conquered their fears and had voiced their thoughts to each other. Futaba was reassured by Makoto's presence, and she was excited to know that Makoto felt similarly.

Eventually, the sky grew dark, and the two realized that their day had come to an end. Futaba noticed that Makoto looked reluctant to leave.

This was it. The whole day had done nothing but bring the two of them closer together. The hand-holding, the confiding, the snuggles. It seemed like things might be mutual. So, Futaba decided that the time had finally come. She'd conquered one fear today – she could conquer another.

"So, Makoto?" Futaba stopped their momentum, tugging on the other girl's hand to hold her back.

"Yes, Futaba?" Makoto looked at her with questioning expression.

"W-was this um… a date?" Futaba had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from screaming. She had finally done it! Well, she hadn't _confessed_ confessed, but she had brought up the possibility. Now all she could do was wait for her companion's response.

Makoto's eyes seemed to brighten, and she pulled Futaba's hand up so that it was held at chest level. After a minute of silence, Makoto murmured, "Did you want it to be one?"

Futaba gulped. Seemed like she had to confess after all. Ever so slowly, she nodded and whispered, "Yeah."

Makoto smiled. "So did I." With that, the older girl tilted her head forward and ever so gently brushed her lips across Futaba's knuckles, squeezing her hand as she did so.

* * *

 _There we go! Hopefully you enjoyed it. I know that both Makoto and Futaba are extremely popular in the fandom, but their fans are apparently mortal enemies (which is weird, considering I'm a Makoto fan and my sister is a Futaba fan, and we get along just fine)._

 _This story has a unique story itself behind it. I had originally gotten up to the monorail portion (with the last couple lines written), and then I stopped writing it to work on other stories that had a more pressing deadline. Then, the anime had the episode where they all go to an amusement park, and Makoto practically passes out on the roller coaster they ride._

 _Originally, I was going to keep Makoto calm and confident the whole time, with the subtle flirtations with Futaba thrown in at different parts. But then, I knew I couldn't keep her composed when it came to riding a roller coaster, because she apparently hates them! The anime ruined my vision!_

 _Kidding aside, I wrote the second half of the story with that thought in mind, which is what the final product became. So, this story really could've gone in the "cool older girl casually admits her feelings at the end of the story" route or the "cool girl has a bit of a freak out to seem more relatable" route. If the anime episode hadn't happened, it would have been the former – but since it did happen, it morphed into the second one. Take what you will from that! Also, I am terrified of roller coasters for the reasons that Makoto explains, so that part was very easy to write realistically!_

 _Anyway, see you tomorrow!_


	23. Akira x Futaba

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge! This is probably my sister's favorite pairing, so this one's a little extra-special!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

The Top Shelf:

Akira x Futaba

-Akira-

Akira and Futaba were currently in the apartment that they shared together. The former was sitting on the worn couch that he had brought from his old living space at Leblanc, reading a book. He was a particularly fast reader, so there was the steady sound of pages being turned.

Futaba, meanwhile was struggling to reach something in their kitchen space. Akira looked up as he registered her grunts and whines.

He noticed that she was attempting to grab something off of the top shelf, which was odd. Akira knew that _she_ knew that she couldn't reach anything up there. The top shelf had remained pretty dusty as a result of not being used, since Akira didn't want to hurt his girlfriend's pride.

As he continued to watch her struggle, he thought back. Had he placed something up there and forgotten? And even if he had, how would Futaba even know about it, and why would she be so desperate to obtain it?

"Akiraaa!" Futaba whined, finally giving up. She turned around to face the boy, watching him watching her. "I require assistance!" She reached out to him, her hands making grabbing motions.

Akira nodded, closing his book and setting it down on the couch as he stood. He walked over to the short girl, waiting for her to direct him.

Futaba grinned, a slight blush on her face. "G-glad you could make it!"

It was such an unusual sentence that Akira wondered what was going on. Sure, Futaba could be a little odd sometimes (or quirky as he would call it when they were being affectionate), but this seemed… weirder.

"Futaba. Is everything okay? You seem… a little frazzled." Akira reached out and touched his girlfriend's cheek, rubbing slightly with his thumb.

This was apparently not the right move, as her blush deepened and she stuttered even more. "N-never better, Akira! I'm just, ya know, flushed from trying to reach that thing up there." At that, the girl pointed to what she had been trying to grab. It was hard to tell from here, but it looked like a small box.

Akira tilted his head. "I see. Want me to get it for you?"

Futaba nodded.

Akira nodded as well. Removing the hand from Futaba's face, he slowly reached up and grabbed onto the square object. It was sturdy, but not too heavy – in fact, it was light as a feather, which was strange. Without a word, he handed it to Futaba, curious as to its contents.

But it seemed that Futaba was still frazzled. As she reached for the object, her hands stuttered, and she ended up dropping it onto the floor. She gasped as it bounced slightly, but it seemed to not suffer any damage.

"I hope whatever's in there isn't too fragile," Akira murmured, hoping that it wasn't.

"Nope! Ha ha. It's perfectly fine, actually. Let me just get it." Futaba knelt down on the ground to pick it up. Then, she held out a hand to Akira. "Think you could give me a hand, Akira?"

Akira smiled gently. "Of course." He reached down, and pulled, but suddenly found that Futaba was rather heavy. This was a problem. It hadn't seemed like she had gained weight in the past few weeks or anything, but she was definitely heavier than he could remember her being. "F-Futaba?"

Said girl gave a shaky and hesitant smile, her blush from before coming back full force. "Akira…" she murmured.

He realized with a start that she was purposefully making herself heavy, to keep him in place. But what exactly was she doing? Then, all of a sudden, it hit him.

Futaba cleared her throat. With the hand that was holding the small box, she flicked open the lid with her thumb. Inside was a gold ring… and it looked awfully like…

"Akira. I've loved you for so long, and I want to keep loving you until the end… whenever that may be." She chuckled nervously. "You were always there for me, even when I wasn't there for myself. You saved me from my tomb, and I'll never forget that. Then, you became my boyfriend, and I thought my heart could never be fuller than at that moment. But every day I spent with you, I leveled up." She smiled at the metaphor. "I thought every day I'd hit my level cap, but you were always there to provide me with so many experience points… so many different experiences. S-so, Akira… will you be my key item… forever?" She squeezed his hand, holding up the wedding band just a little bit higher.

Akira was at a loss. He was amazed that Futaba had the courage to do this. Sure, he himself had considered proposing some time ago, but he never wanted to move too quickly. He assumed that he still thought of her as fragile, which was obviously no longer the case.

Here was the love of his life, pouring out her heart in a way that made his soar. Of course, there was only one answer that he could give.

"Yes, Futaba. With all of my heart." He knelt down in front of her and touched her face again. Except this time, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, slowly savoring the moment.

He felt her relax against him, and the hand that had been holding his went slack, instead resting against his shoulder to hold herself up. The two kissed for a few sweet moments before gently pulling away, smiles and blushes on their faces.

"You really did steal my heart all those years ago, Akira. In more ways than one." Futaba giggled, squeezing his shoulder.

"You were a thief as well, Futaba. But I'm so glad to have my heart stolen by you. It's all yours." Akira smiled as he watched a tear roll down his fiancé's cheek.

"Heh. Always so smooth. Anyway!" Futaba grabbed Akira's left hand with hers. With her other hand, she slowly removed the ring from its cushioned container and gently inserted it onto his finger. "Aha! A perfect fit for my perfect fiancé!" Futaba cheered. She quickly leaned down and placed a quick kiss onto where the ring rested.

Akira chuckled. He wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her into him. Apparently, she had not expected the sudden movement, as she gasped and collided into him, causing the two to fall over in a heap onto the kitchen floor.

The boy laughed a hearty laugh this time, rubbing his hands up and down Futaba's back, with his fingers sometimes stroking through her long orange hair.

Futaba laughed as well, her glasses slightly askew. She began to pepper his face with little kisses, giggling all the while.

After a few minutes of this, Akira felt that he just had to ask. "Futaba. How _did_ you manage to get the ring box up there?"

Futaba paused. "Well, Akira, a magician never reveals her secrets!"

Akira raised an eyebrow.

The hacker chuckled. "And maaaybe I got the entirety of the Phantom Thieves over here so they could get it up there."

"Now that, I can believe." A thought struck him. "So that must mean they know that we're engaged?"

Futaba shook her head. "They knew I planned this, but they didn't know you'd say yes!"

"I'm insulted. They truly believed that there was a chance I'd say no?"

"Well… actually not. Most of the doubt was on my end, heh."

"Well then. I'll spend the rest of my life proving to you how you mean everything to me." With that, Akira lifted his head up to give Futaba the most passionate kiss he had ever given.

After all, he could give nothing but the best to his future wife.

* * *

 _Proposal fic! I figure that most people assume with a romance prompt like this, that there would have to be at least one. And why not have it for my sister's favorite pairing? Will there be more… probably not!_

 _And to my sister – yes Akira's reading speed was based on how quickly you skimmed through the game! I don't think you even read half of it!_

 _See you tomorrow!_


	24. Ryuji x Makoto

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _I have always been interested in Psychology, so I had to make sure that it was referenced in at least one of my stories._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Positive Reinforcement:

Ryuji x Makoto

-Ryuji-

"Now tell me. Is this positive or negative reinforcement or punishment?"

Ryuji scrunched his face in concentration. He had been studying for the past hour with his girlfriend, who was slowly guiding him through the material that he needed to know for tomorrow's test. He appreciated how patient she was with him, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated. It seemed to come so easily to her, but for him, every piece of the puzzle seemed to require extreme effort on his part.

"Okay… read it to me one more time?"

Makoto cleared her throat. "Yukari had a headache, so she took some medicine. The medicine relieved the pain, so she made sure to take more in the future if this ever happened again."

Ryuji thought. "Right. The medicine took away the pain, so that's a good thing, right?" He looked at Makoto for confirmation.

She nodded. "I would say so." She smirked at him.

The boy realized how obvious his question had been. "Hey! Don't smirk at me. You know my brain turns to mush when I study for this long." Shaking his head at her giggle, he continued. "And it made her take more medication, so she's gonna repeat it in the future. So it reinforced the behavior?" He looked at Makoto. She gave nothing away, wanting him to figure it out on his own.

He nodded. "Okay. So I'd say this is positive reinforcement!" He pumped his fist. "Alright! I think I'm finally gettin' it, Makoto!" When he turned to look at the girl, he saw that she was slowly shaking her head. "What?" He exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the table. "But what I said makes perfect sense!"

The student council president smiled sadly. "You're correct in that everything you said makes sense, but there were some flaws in your logic in terms of behavioral psychology."

Ryuji groaned. "Like what?"

"You're correct that it is reinforcement, as she will continue taking the medication," Makoto explained. "However, just because the result is something good doesn't mean that it is positive, at least, in terms of behavioral psychology."

The blonde boy raised his eyebrows. "What the hell? Positive means good, doesn't it?"

Makoto shook her head. "Not always. In terms of synonyms, that is correct. But in chemistry, it refers to having an electrical charge. As for psychology, it means that something was added or gained."

"But then what I said still makes sense!" Ryuji complained. "She gained the medication, right?"

"Technically, she didn't take the medicine because she would have more of it. The reason that she took the medicine was because it took _away_ the pain. Just as negative is the opposite of positive, it's the opposite of giving in this case, meaning that something is taken away." Makoto tucked some hair behind her ear. "Therefore, she took more medication to reduce pain. The behavior of taking medication is reinforced because it took away a stimulus."

Ryuji was still a little lost. He was sure that what Makoto was saying made sense, but he'd been studying for so long that his mind was getting a little foggy. "Okay…"

Evidently, Makoto could tell that what she was saying was not getting through to him. "Maybe another example will help." He sighed lightly as she turned her head back towards the book she had been reading from.

"Okay. Here's an easy one." Makoto looked up at the boy. "Junpei studied for his test, and he received an A. Therefore, he continued to study in the future."

"That seems like a personal attack right now." He grinned when Makoto laughed at his joke.

Then, Ryuji thought seriously. The behavior was obviously being reinforced, since he was going to continue to study in the future. But did that mean that that it was positive or negative? It seemed like the boy in the example was _gaining_ something – a good grade. For the life of him, Ryuji couldn't think of anything being taken away in that situation.

"I think," he spoke up, "that this is positive reinforcement." He looked back at Makoto to see her reaction (either a smile for getting one correct, or a shake of her head for getting it wrong), but she did something he wasn't expecting.

She had leaned across the table, scattering the books onto the floor, and was now holding his face in her hands. Before he could react, she pressed her lips to his, roughly kissing him.

Confused, but elated at what was happening, Ryuji shoved his own papers out of the way in favor of kissing his girlfriend back. The two remained this way for a minute, until they both pulled away, breathless.

Makoto was panting and straightening out her collar, which had gone slightly askew in their passionate moment. Her face was red, but she was beaming.

Ryuji could feel that his face was similar, and he too straightened out his clothes. "S-so… I'm guessin' that I was right?"

Makoto nodded. "Yes you were, Ryuji. I think you're really starting to get this. I could tell how hard you were thinking about it."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I was. But I gotta ask… why'd ya start making out with me? Not that I mind, but it seemed a little… extreme."

"Before I answer that, would you like to continue with these examples?"

Ryuji pumped his fist. "Hell yeah! If I get that kind of lovin' from my girlfriend, then I'll keep studying until I die!"

Makoto smiled. "Then I suppose this was… positive reinforcement as well?"

Ryuji blinked. True, receiving more kisses from Makoto was _definitely_ reinforcing his studying behavior, in that he wanted to continue to get questions correct, but had she really done that just to…?

"Are you kidding me? You only made out with me like that to teach me a lesson?"

Makoto laughed. "That was my original intent, yes, but the zealousness of the kiss was just a result of… my feelings for you."

Ryuji blushed. He loved how charming Makoto could be when she wanted to. "Heh. I guess I'm just _that_ irresistible, huh?"

The student council president nodded. "You really are."

Suffice it to say, Ryuji aced his test the next day.

* * *

 _I hope that everyone learned a little bit more about psychology from this. Behavioral psychology in particular is usually something someone either picks up right away or struggles with. Luckily, I was the former, but I remember some of my classmates really struggling with it. The medicine example is a classic one because it is so counterintuitive. Of course, if this kind of reward happened while we were studying it, I'm sure everyone would pick up on it much quicker!_

 _I also wonder whether or not anyone picked up on the names of the people in the examples? I'm playing Persona 3 right now (I totally did the games out of order – 4, 5, and then 3), and those are my favorite female and male characters respectively._

 _See you tomorrow!_


	25. Ann x Haru

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _More drunk shenanigans! I promise this will be the last one – it just really helps to create hilarious situations. But just to reiterate – do not do this in real life! It's funny in a story, but not too responsible to do in reality._

 _FYI – The drinking age in Japan is twenty._

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Birthday Shenanigans:

Ann x Haru

-Ann-

She couldn't believe what she had gotten herself into.

Tonight was Haru's twentieth birthday, and that meant that she was celebrating with her first legal drink. She had gone out to a local establishment with Makoto, who had turned twenty a few months prior. Makoto had initially planned to be the "designated driver" (which was more like "the person who would be able to take the other on and off the subway"), but evidently, this was not the final result.

According to the graduated student council president, she'd had a very strenuous week at university, and had accidently overindulged. Now, Haru and Makoto were not raving drunk, but they were definitely not in any sort of condition to be walking around town by themselves.

Being that Makoto was slightly soberer than her friend, she had called Ann to request her to take Haru back to her dorm.

This was the gist of what Ann had picked up on, being that Makoto was slurring her words quite heavily. She'd quickly slipped on her winter coat and had grabbed her purse before darting out the door and down into the lobby of her dorm.

The cold winter air was bracing, even with the jacket, and Ann shivered slightly as she made her way to the subway station. Luckily, the establishment that Haru and Makoto had chosen was right next to the subway stop after a few minutes ride, so they wouldn't have too far to travel. Ann decided right then and there that she would just take Haru back to her own dorm and would deal with the logistics of getting Haru back to her own room tomorrow.

By the time Ann had departed the subway and had walked into the establishment, she worried that she had taken too much time. But she didn't have to worry for long.

"Ann!"

A sudden weight slammed into the model's side, almost knocking her over. She quickly threw her hands out to catch whatever had hit her, and she realized with a start that it was the girl she had been looking for.

"H-Haru?"

The girl snuggled up to her, leaning into her side and hugging her. "The one and only!" She giggled.

"Uh…" Ann wasn't quite sure how to handle this situation. Sure, some members of the Phantom Thieves had gotten drunk in the past (with Ryuji being the most frequent culprit), but she'd never had to deal with a drunken Haru. The girl had absolutely refused to have even a sip of alcohol until she was legal, and evidently, she had made up for lost time tonight.

"Thanks for picking me up, Ann!" Haru chirped, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Ann rubbed the back of her head. "Sure, Haru. No problem." Remembering that her other senpai had been here as well, she looked around, not spotting her. "By the way… where's Makoto?"

Haru giggled again. "Oh, Mako-chan got picked up a few minutes ago by her _sweetheart_!" She practically sang the last bit, nuzzling into Ann once again.

"I… see." Satisfied, Ann nodded her head. "Alright, Haru! Let's get you somewhere where you can sober up in peace."

"Sounds good! Lead the way, Panther!" Haru charged forward, stumbling.

Ann shook her head. She must have been really drunk to have reverted to using Ann's codename. She hadn't heard that name in years.

The two made their way back to the subway, where Ann had to help the other girl significantly. Fortunately, they made it on and off that mode of transportation without incident, and the two arrived at the lobby of Ann's dorm.

"Hey! This isn't… where I live…" Haru murmured off, looking lost.

Ann smiled. "No, Haru. I'm taking you back to my room. Just for tonight. We can figure out everything in the morning." A thought struck her. "Hey, Haru… you don't have… like, class or anything tomorrow, do you?" Luckily, she herself didn't have class until the afternoon, so she was good to go.

Haru shook her head. "Nooope! I had a lot today, though, which _stinks_!" She sighed loudly. "I mean, isn't it a crime to receive homework on your birthday?"

To be honest, Haru was so far gone that Ann was surprised she remembered it was her birthday. "Well…" She looked at Haru's expression, which was on the brink of tears at her hesitation. Not wanting to upset her, Ann changed where her sentence had been headed. "Totally! Your birthday is like, a national holiday!"

Haru smiled. "You're so sweet, Ann." She nuzzled her head into the model's shoulder, humming slightly.

The model smiled back. "Thanks, Haru." She looked at the stairs. "Hm… probably a no-go there. We should take the elevator. Even if it _does_ break every other day." She guided the two of them over to the machine and pressed the button, waiting for it to arrive. "Come to think of it, I think it broke yesterday, so we should be all set!"

Ann looked down when she heard Haru giggle again. "You're really funny, Ann."

The model blushed slightly at the earnest compliment. "Thanks, Haru. I think that's mostly the alcohol talking, but I'll take it!"

The two waited. Ann noticed that Haru was really leaning heavily on her. For an instant, Ann's impish side thought about moving away so that Haru would fall over, but she figured that would be a little bit too mean to do while she was drunk.

After a minute, the elevator doors opened, and the two girls stepped on. Ann pressed the button to her floor, but she should have realized that Haru was going to be a little bit… inconvenient.

After Ann stepped away to wait against the wall, Haru suddenly released her hold on the other girl and dragged her hand across the panel, hitting half a dozen buttons.

"Whoa! Don't do that!" Ann quickly grabbed her companion's hand and pulled her away from the control panel. Haru fell against her with a giggle. Ann shook her hand as she wrapped her arms around her, wanting to make sure she stayed in one place.

She realized with exasperation that Haru had pressed all the buttons below her floor, so they were going to have to wait at a few stops before arriving at their destination.

"So much for my English homework…" Ann muttered as the doors opened pointlessly.

Haru looked up from where she was pressed against her. "Homework? But it's my birthday! You don't have to do homework on my birthday!"

Ann chuckled. "You're right. How silly of me." She smiled at Haru's pleased face as the girl tucked her head back to where it had been, pressed up against Ann's shoulder.

As the doors opened and closed a few more times, Ann hoped that no one would actually get on the elevator and witness what was happening. She was pretty sure that being intoxicated on a college campus was looked down on, even if it was legal.

Ever so slowly, Ann began to run her hands up and down Haru's back since there wasn't anything else to do but wait. Haru evidently approved, as she snuggled closer and hummed.

They stayed like this for a few minutes until the elevator finally opened up on the correct floor. Not wanting to miss it, Ann tapped her companion on the shoulder. "Haru?" she murmured.

"Hm?" The girl looked up at her, a slightly glazed look in her eyes.

"Time to get off." Ann slowly pushed Haru away so that the two could move. It looked like Haru was disappointed to lose a snuggle buddy, but she latched right back onto Ann's side as the two departed.

Ann guided them down the hall, eventually arriving at her room. Luckily, her roommate was at her boyfriend's room, so she didn't have to worry about explaining any of this to her.

"Here we are! The Takamaki suite!" She gestured towards the open door, which elicited yet another giggle from Haru. "Wow, we need to hang out when you're drunk more often, Haru. I'm like the funniest person in Japan right now."

The two walked inside, with Ann turning around to make sure the door was locked tight before doing anything else.

Ann watched as Haru stumbled around, tripping over discarded shoes and the like. It was honestly pretty adorable now that they didn't have to worry about anyone else watching them.

The model walked over to her bed, sitting down on it. "Okay, Haru. Here's my bed. You can use my roommate's tonight, since she's… _busy_ with her boyfriend right now."

Haru looked over at her. "Busy doing what?"

Ann blushed. "Um… you know…?"

Haru shook her head. "I don't!"

Ann was not sure what to do. Haru couldn't possibly be _that_ sheltered… could she? Was the alcohol making her coy, or did she really not understand what was happening?

At Ann's lack of response, Haru stumbled over to her, collapsing on the bed. "Is it fun stuff?"

Ann quirked an eyebrow. "You could say that, sure."

Haru's eyes lit up. She army-crawled over to Ann, who was watching her with mirth. "Then we should do it too! I wanna do fun stuff!"

Ann blushed bright red at that statement. Was Haru seriously proposing…?

She coughed. "H-Haru. The stuff that they're doing… is for couples only. It's… uh… very intimate."

Haru frowned. "Well we're a couple! And I don't mind being intimate if it's with _you_ , Ann!"

The model couldn't believe it. "Um, Haru… I don't think you're understanding the implications of what you're saying right now…"

"What do you mean? We're two people, which is a couple. And I really like you, Ann, so I don't mind being really close to you. Like… this!" Haru leaped into the air and collapsed onto the model, knocking her flat on her back with an "oof".

"Ow…"

"Oops! Sorry, Ann!" Haru was currently on top of her, looking down. She leaned down and placed a kiss on the model's forehead, which had suffered the worst of the impact. "All better!" She smiled.

Ann blushed, both at the kiss and at the proximity. "Haru… if you're serious about this…"

Haru nodded. "I am!"

Ann smiled. "Then that's great. But… I want you to be able to make this decision when you're in your right state of mind. If you really do have feelings for me… then I want to wait." She sat up, pulling Haru into her lap. "I want you to be able to look me clearly in the eyes and tell me that you… l-love me."

Haru looked at her. "I… think I understand, Ann. S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything…" She turned her head, tearing up slightly.

Ann squeezed her. Even when she couldn't think straight, Haru managed to put others' feelings before her own. "Not at all. I appreciate how considerate you are, Haru, but don't worry about it." She rubbed the other girl's back. "If anything, this'll be a funny story to tell you tomorrow."

Haru giggled. "I think so too."

The two untangled themselves, with Haru slowly stumbling over to the other bed. Without even unmaking it, she flopped down with a sigh. "Goodnight, Panther."

Ann shook her head. Yep, she was totally telling Haru everything that had happened tomorrow. But for now, she should wish her future girlfriend goodnight.

"Goodnight, Noir. Sweet dreams."

* * *

 _So, I looked it up. Haru's 20_ _th_ _birthday would be on a Wednesday (or a Thursday in Japan), so I have no idea why she would decide to get wasted in the middle of the week, but there ya go!_

 _Plus, I didn't specify who Makoto's significant other was, so that you could imagine for yourself who it could be – as long as it isn't Haru or Ann, you're golden!_

 _See you tomorrow!_


	26. Ryuji x Yusuke

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _We're getting towards the end now. Which ones have been your favorites so far?_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Parrot it Back:

Ryuji x Yusuke

-Ryuji-

Ryuji knew that Yusuke was… a bit strange.

But this was something that really did take the cake.

"Dude. Why did you buy… a parrot?"

Yusuke was letting the bird perch on his arm, and he was looking at Ryuji with a confused expression. "Why wouldn't I, Ryuji? Parrots are beautiful creatures, and they are extremely intelligent." He nodded at the bird, who squawked.

Ryuji was still shocked. "But… where did you even get one?"

"The local pet store. They just received it from overseas. It was a bit pricey, but it was very much worth it." Yusuke grinned at the parrot, which began preening its feathers.

The blonde knew that the artist struggled financially, and that he would tend to waste money on outrageous purchases like this. Honestly, this was the lobster situation all over again! "How much did this set you back, Yusuke?"

The artist shrugged with his free shoulder. "I'll have to cut down to one meal a day with no snacks for about three weeks, but that is a small price to pay for such exquisite beauty."

"Uh… huh." Ryuji knew that Yusuke loved to eat, so he was pretty sure the artist was going to struggle with this particular setback.

"It can also learn and repeat phrases, which is a major reason why I purchased the fellow." Yusuke gently pat the bird on its head, which caused it to move into his touch and squawk again.

"Alright. So what did you teach it to say? Some swear words? That'd be awesome!" Ryuji laughed, imaging a bird yelling out profanities at the Phantom Thieves, since he assumed Yusuke would probably take it to meetings.

"No, nor would I want to. It is too sublime a creature to tarnish its image with vulgar language." Yusuke shook his head.

Disappointed, Ryuji sighed. "Man! Then what did ya teach it?"

Yusuke smiled gently. "Why don't you let him show you?" Yusuke raised his arm and clicked his tongue.

This was obviously an indication to have the parrot start to speak, for it turned its head towards the blonde and opened its beak. "I love you, Ryuji!"

Said boy gasped. "D-dude, what the hell? Why would you teach it to say _that_?"

Yusuke chuckled. "Perhaps because I struggled to find the courage to do so myself." He blushed slightly, scratching at his face. "I'm able to say it in the privacy of my own room, but proclaiming my feelings for you directly _to you_ … that is a herculean task, I'm afraid. So I purchased this parrot so that he could break the ice, so to speak."

Ryuji said nothing. Yusuke had feelings towards him? But… that seemed so…

Yusuke blushed more at the continued silence. "Ryuji. I have felt very strongly for you ever since we defeated Madarame in his palace. You… showed me that not all beauty must be refined. Some can be rough around the edges… coarse. That there is an innate strength in that kind of determination."

Ryuji figured that he should respond. "S-so… you really like me?"

The artist nodded. "I know it seems sudden, but I do care for you. With all of my heart."

Ryuji smiled. "Well, hell! Ya coulda just told me right to my face. I feel somethin' for you too." He blushed. "I mean… I don't think I can call it 'love' yet, but I definitely wanna spend more time with you." He chuckled. "Maybe one day I can say it back."

Yusuke beamed. "That is more than I ever expected. Thank you, Ryuji." With that, the artist took hold of Ryuji's hand a raised it to his lips, planting a gentle kiss on the back of his palm. "It seems we both need some time before we can truly say those three words to each other."

"Ha! Yeah. Who'd think that, of the three of us, the freakin' _parrot_ would be the one to say it first?" Ryuji laughed, squeezing Yusuke's hand.

"He has _such_ a cute butt!"

Both boys' heads snapped over to the bird, who looked right back at them as though what it had said was perfectly normal.

Yusuke spluttered. "I-I have _no_ idea where he learned that phrase. Don't listen to him, Ryuji!"

"Oh really? Go on parrot – what else did Yusuke say about me?"

"Ryuji, please!"

* * *

 _Parrots! I'm not sure that this is quite how a parrot would do these things, but it works for my story, so it's good enough. See you tomorrow!_


	27. Ryuji x Ann

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Here's another story with Ryuji, but it will be the last one that he appears in! Honestly, I know that this pairing is super-popular in the fandom, so it's kinda funny how the random number generator made it one of the last one-shots._

 _Has anyone figured out what the last one-shot will be? After tomorrow, you can use process of elimination to know for sure!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Relief:

Ryuji x Ann

-Ann-

Relief.

That was the first feeling that Ann had experienced when she realized that Ryuji had survived the explosion in Shido's palace. The Phantom Thieves had been distraught, worrying that they had lost him forever after his sacrifice.

Sure, the model would fight with him more often than not, but even she had to admit that what Ryuji had done had been nothing short of heroic. Not that she would admit that particular thought out loud. She didn't need it going straight to his head.

Once she had known for sure that Ryuji was okay, her usual thoughts and feelings about the boy had resurfaced – those of irritation and rage. Which was why she and the rest of the girls had proceeded to pummel the boy for worrying them so much.

Looking back on it now, Ann somewhat regretted her actions. He'd done everything right, and he hadn't meant to worry them. But Ann couldn't help it. She had felt so many different things upon his return, and it had been hard for her to process everything. So, she had reverted back to their usual give-and-take, albeit with more rage due to the high-stakes of what had happened.

But now that she had time to reflect on it, she realized that this confusion _remained_. She'd never felt this way around Ryuji before, and it was slightly concerning. He'd always been a good friend to her, and she liked to think that she was one right back. They'd always had a pretty easy-going relationship, but everything seemed… more complicated now.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that the runner had almost died right before their very eyes. The thought of that made her throat clench and eyes sting with hot tears. She'd cried out his name when the ship had exploded, and the deep sadness that had run through her then surfaced when she thought about what could have been now.

Ann realized that maybe she had taken Ryuji for granted, that he would always be in her life without a doubt. But once she experienced his loss, no matter how short, she realized that she _wanted_ him to be in her life, more than almost anything else.

Ryuji was crude and vulgar, but he was also someone that you _knew_ you could depend on. The two of them were always on equal footing, and Ann appreciated that more than she could really express. That was what love was to her – not something where one individual had power over the other. Thoughts of that monster Kamoshida came to mind.

But wait. Had she just thought about… love?

She pondered some more. Could she really be… in love with Ryuji? He seemed… more like a great friend more than anything, someone who was always there for her, and always knew just how to make her smile when she was feeling down.

People did say that all relationships started with friendship, but was that where all of this was headed?

Ann thought back to when the group had travelled to Hawaii. She had asked Ryuji what type of girl he liked. After verbally stumbling around, he had admitted that he basically wanted someone who was kind. She'd pushed him a little further, and he said that they had to have good looks as well.

Funnily enough, Ann's preferences were very similar. She would appreciate a guy who could look great in anything, but above all, she wanted someone who was kind and understanding. Ryuji tended to be a hothead, but underneath all that… he was a decent guy. And she liked to think that she herself was a nice person, with a body to match – she _was_ a part-time model after all.

Now she was trying to figure out how compatible they were? It seemed like maybe she really did have a crush on the runner… but no, that actually seemed a little too shallow of a way to describe what she was feeling. It wasn't _love_ love… at least, not yet. But Ann realized that she truly did care for Ryuji in a way that she hadn't considered before.

So then, what was the next step? Should she tell him? The problem was, it would change their tight bond of friendship forever. Whether or not he reciprocated would determine if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Hey… Ann?"

A sudden voice startled Ann out of her reverie as she quickly turned her head to look at the source. Speak of the devil…

Ryuji stood there, an awkward smile on his face. "You okay? You looked like you were thinkin' really hard about something."

Ann smiled. Her feelings were strong, so she figured that she should respond in kind. A simple verbal confession wouldn't do.

At her lack of response, Ryuji scratched the back of his head roughly. "Yo, Ann? Everything okay in there?" He leaned closer, and that was when Ann struck.

She moved her head forward and met his lips with hers. It was sudden and a little clumsy, but she couldn't care less. However, she didn't want to make _him_ uncomfortable. The model was ready to pull back if he didn't return the kiss.

However, after making a surprised sound, Ryuji returned it with equal fervor, wrapping one arm around her waist, and another around the back of her head, pulling her closer. She responded by wrapping her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him closer as well.

After a minute, the two pulled away, red-faced and breathing heavily. There… _that_ should get her feelings across loud and clear.

She looked at Ryuji, who was running a hand through his hair, his eyes shyly meeting hers. "H-huh. Guess you're gonna be attacking me in a totally different way now?" He chuckled nervously.

Ann rolled her eyes, but her blush deepened. "You _would_ say something like that, Ryuji." She giggled a bit nervously as well. "I guess… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She held out her hand. "B-be my boyfriend?" She gave a shaky smile. Her adrenaline from anticipating the kiss had been all used up during the action, and now she was a trembling mess. But, she supposed, it was a good kind of nervousness.

Ryuji returned her hesitant smile. "You bet, Ann." He winked at her and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly.

There was a bit of an awkward silence. What should they do now?

Fortunately, Ryuji broke it. "Hey! Why don't we go get some cake at the sweets place you like? My treat for my awesome girlfriend!" He laughed.

Ann nodded her head furiously. "Of course! Lead the way, Ryuji!"

She knew she had a good feeling about him.

* * *

 _And here is RyuAnn! The two of them really do get along well with each other, and I could totally see them as being best buds or a fantastic couple. Having said that, I tried to have the best of both worlds in this one-shot._

 _And I had always thought it was a little cruel (and over-the-top comical) to have all the girls in the Phantom Thieves beat up Ryuji when he returned. I get that it's kind of a trope, but I personally thought it was a little unnecessary and out-of-character for them. Funny, but a little too ridiculous for my tastes!_

 _See you tomorrow!_


	28. Yusuke x Goro

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Oof. That's all I can say after writing this one-shot. I really struggle to write both of these characters, so writing them romantically involved was even harder!_

 _Please enjoy this next part of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

The Note:

Yusuke x Goro

-Goro-

Arriving at the courthouse, Goro sighed tiredly as he straightened out his tie. It had been an exhausting week, and he was pretty sure he'd slept less than a total of 20 hours in the past seven days.

But, he was closer than ever before in succeeding in his master plan. After infiltrating the Phantom Thieves, they seemed none the wiser about his true intentions. All the sleepless nights were going to be well worth the trouble, in the end.

But for now, Goro was suffering. He'd operated on little sleep in the past, but with everything going on now, it seemed to be much more difficult to maintain an outside appearance of pleasantness.

Which was why, when someone bumped into him, he uncharacteristically snapped, "Watch it!" He'd been hit so hard that his briefcase went flying, unfortunately landing on the pavement with enough force that it snapped open, some papers scattering.

Goro gasped. A lot of those documents were top secret – he couldn't afford to lose them, and he _definitely_ couldn't afford to have anyone in the public see them.

He dived forward to snatch up the papers, collecting them in a pile. He went for the briefcase next, but he found that whoever had bumped into him had beaten him to it. Following the hand with his eyes, he traced a visual line up the arm and eventually to the face and shoulders of the person.

Yusuke Kitagawa.

"Apoligies, Akechi. I hadn't meant to stumble into you quite so… vehemently." The artist stood, picking up the briefcase and clicking it shut. He chuckled. "I was merely attempting to get your attention, but you seemed somewhat out-of-it, so I guess we ran into each other a little too hard."

Goro flushed. He was embarrassed at having lost his composure, but he was also worried the artist had seen a part of his true nature. He scanned the other boy's face, but all he saw was a pleasant look, his head slightly tilted. He must have been confused at Goro's lack of response.

The detective prince cleared his throat. "Why, h-hello, Yusuke. Funny meeting you here."

"Yes. I was passing by the area and saw you passing by as well. Are you headed to work?" Yusuke nodded his head towards the courthouse.

Goro nodded. "I am indeed, Yusuke." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I apologize for snapping at you. I've had a few restless nights, and I fear the stress of it all is finally catching up to me."

Yusuke smiled gently. "Not an issue. I myself have experienced those types of nights. I understand completely."

The two stood there for a moment, neither one saying anything. Deciding to break the silence, Goro gestured towards the item in Yusuke's hand. "Thank you for saving my briefcase, by the way."

The artist nodded, handing the item to the detective prince. "Of course. It was partially my fault that it was dislodged from your hands anyway. It was the least I could do."

Goro accepted the briefcase. He quickly opened it up and deposited the papers that he had collected before clicking it closed again. Smiling wryly at the artist, he quipped, "You didn't happen to sneak a peak at any of the documents in here, did you?"

"I did not. I wasn't going to intrude on your personal business."

Goro wasn't sure if Yusuke was completely telling the truth, but he decided to trust him for now. "I see. Well then, I suppose I'll be seeing you –"

Yusuke cut him off quickly. "Later tonight. Akira has called a meeting, and he wants to make sure that we can all attend." He gave Goro a serious look. "We are going to be infiltrating the target's palace today."

The detective prince thought it was a little unusual not to mention Sae by name, but he figured that Yusuke was keeping it a secret since they were talking in public.

"I see." Goro nodded. "I'll be there. Please text me the details later."

"Of course." Yusuke stepped back. "I will take my leave now. Take care, Akechi."

Goro echoed a similar sentiment before turning to walk away. As he did so, he thought he felt a slight… touch on top of his gloved hand.

He snapped his head around, but Yusuke was already walking away, and he was gone in seconds.

Goro inspected his hand. Had Yusuke really just…?

He shook his head. Of course not. It must have just been his imagination. Shaking off the thought, Goro turned and walked the few remaining steps toward the courthouse.

He passed through the doors and into the building, seeing Sae at her usual place in the lobby. She was scanning through a newspaper, her eyes darting quickly around the page. He could tell that she was only mildly interested in what she was reading, and that it was more of a cover to disguise what she was really doing. Namely, waiting for the detective prince to arrive.

He decided that he shouldn't keep her waiting any longer – she could get as dangerous as her sister when she was irritated. Clearing his throat, the boy called out, "Sae-san! How have you been?"

The prosecutor looked up at his voice, and immediately folded up the newspaper, placing it on the coffee table in front of her. "The same as always. Let's get to work now, shall we?"

Goro grinned. "Just as curt as ever, I see." Sae glared at him. Hm… perhaps that was too much of a tease? He was finding it a little hard as to where he should draw the line, seeing as he was so sleep-deprived. "A-anyway… I just need to get the papers out of my briefcase, and then we can go up to your office to discuss them." He sat down to open up the item.

Sae sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why not just get the papers out _in_ my office?"

Goro smiled. "I thought we could discuss on our way. I know you're not always one for conversation." The woman merely hummed in slight annoyance and said nothing.

As the detective prince clicked open the briefcase, he found the documents that he was looking for. But as he went to reach for them, he saw that there was a separate piece of paper that didn't quite belong. He couldn't remember putting it in there.

"I wonder what this is…" Goro murmured, pulling it out. It was folded up, so he slowly undid the fold, his eyes scanning across the message written in delicate script.

' _Akechi,_

 _It would be my honor to take you out to a dining establishment of your choice, hopefully one that falls within my budget. You are an extremely handsome individual, and I would be very interested in getting to know you better._

 _Please let me know your answer after our strategy meeting tonight._

 _Yusuke'_

Goro spluttered. When had…? But, of course! The artist must have snuck this note into his briefcase when he had picked it up. Had that entire encounter been planned from the beginning…?

At Goro's gasp, Sae turned to look at him. "What's wrong? You seem oddly flushed."

The detective prince shook his head, willing his blush to fade. "N-nothing, Sae-san. Just… uh… I have to use the restroom!" He cringed internally at his childish response, but nevertheless slammed his briefcase closed and ran towards the bathroom, taking it with him.

"But… with your briefcase?" He heard Sae mutter in confusion just before he was out of earshot.

* * *

 _Kinda weird but kinda funny I hope! I think the reason that Yusuke was able to slip that note into Goro's briefcase without noticing was because Goro was so focused on staring at the artist's gorgeous face… or something like that anyway!_

 _Tomorrow is the last day. That means that anyone who has been following this story can use process of elimination to figure out what the last one-shot will be. I will see you all tomorrow!_


	29. Ann x Makoto

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything in the Persona series._

 _Surprise! Well, technically you could've used process of elimination to figure out that this would be the final pairing, but still._

 _It's been about a month since I started this challenge, and I appreciate anyone and everyone who went along on this crazy journey with me! Even if you only read one or two one-shots, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to look at something that I created. So, thank you!_

 _This story is a birthday present to myself… but the real gift is not having to write anymore one-shots for a while!_

 _Please enjoy the final one-shot of the P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge!_

* * *

P5 Shipping Round Robin Challenge:

Texting and Confessions:

Ann x Makoto

-Ann-

Ann was currently texting her best friend, Shiho, who had recently transferred to her new school. It had been a few weeks, and though the pain of separation was still there, the two girls were making it work.

The topics of their conversations varied wildly. Sometimes, it was as mundane as complaining about schoolwork, but at other times, things took a more dramatic turn.

It made Ann smile to learn that her friend had met someone at her new school. According to Shiho, he was quiet, calm, and patient, things Ann knew Shiho desperately needed after her time with Kamoshida. Ann could tell even through text how much her friend cared about him. Funnily enough, he sounded a lot like Akira, and she had had to double check with both the leader of the Phantom Thieves and her best friend to ensure that wasn't the case.

The topic of conversation currently was about Shiho and her male friend, who, it turned out, had just recently become her boyfriend. Ann was ecstatic at the news, and it could show clearly even through text.

 **Ann:** Congratulations! I knew he'd fall for you eventually!

 **Shiho:** Thank you, Ann. I'm glad to know that he feels the same way.

Ann giggled to herself, imagining the blush on her friend's face as she told her this. She knew that she just _had_ to meet the guy who had stolen Shiho's heart. Though, hopefully, not in the same way that her friends did.

She tapped out her message on her phone.

 **Ann:** So when do I get to meet this mystery man?

She giggled again at the almost instant reply.

 **Shiho:** Soon, Ann, I promise!

Ann was about to ask for more details when another text message popped up on her phone.

 **Shiho:** I was thinking that maybe we could double-date with you and Makoto-senpai.

What?

Ann's mind screeched to a halt. A double-date? With… Makoto? What was Shiho…? Well, it was clear that she was implying that Ann and Makoto were in a romantic relationship, but clearly she was under the wrong impression. Ann didn't like Makoto in that way. Did she?

Desperate to get to the bottom of this, Ann quickly typed back.

 **Ann:** What do you mean about double-dating with Makoto? We aren't dating, Shiho!

She waited a few moments, anxious for the other girl's reply. Within a minute, she got what she wanted.

 **Shiho:** Oh! My apologies. I thought she was your girlfriend. You don't use honorifics or anything, so I figured you two were close.

Now that Ann thought about it, it was a little bit strange that she didn't address the older girl as her senpai. But she also didn't address Haru in that way for that matter, and she didn't add any other honorifics for anyone in their group. Basically, they were all just really close.

Ann texted this explanation to her friend, who signaled her understanding. But Ann was still uncomfortable at the implication, so she pressed Shiho further. Why did her best friend think that Ann was dating the student council president?

 **Shiho:** Well… you've mentioned her a lot in our conversations. She almost always comes up in some form or another.

Ann thought back to their previous conversations. Was that true?

Almost as if she sensed Ann's present state of mind, Shiho continued.

 **Shiho:** Yesterday, for example, you talked about how she was cuddling with a Buchimaru-kun stuffed animal and how adorable it was. You even sent me a picture.

Ann remembered taking that picture. She had been hanging out with Makoto as they often did after school if she wasn't too busy modeling and Makoto wasn't too busy studying or running the student council.

The two had been in the arcade. Ever since Akira had shown Makoto around the little place, Makoto had become fascinated and decided to spend her free time there more often than not. It was pretty hilarious to see the prim and proper student council president cursing up a storm as she shot down enemies in one of the many shooting games.

Ann herself wasn't very good at those games (and quite frankly, neither was Makoto), but she always obliged the other girl just so that she could watch her reactions.

However, this trip brought them to one of the crane machines. They had just recently restocked the toys and stuffed animals that littered the case, and Makoto had immediately honed in on a small Buchimaru-kun. She had spent a fair amount of money attempting to capture it, but she had ultimately failed.

Ann couldn't stand to see the dejected look on her senpai's face, so she decided that she would take a crack at it. Surprisingly, she had plucked it out on only her third attempt. The bright, almost childlike expression that had surfaced on Makoto's face as she accepted the gift had made Ann's heart flutter.

Wait. Now that she thought about it, her heart had _fluttered_. Which was not something that normally happened between friends, right?

Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord as she texted back.

 **Ann:** That's true. But I mean… wouldn't anyone think that was totally adorable?

Shiho soon responded.

 **Shiho:** I… suppose so? But you were gushing about it quite a bit. And that was just yesterday. I have plenty of other examples.

 **Ann:** Okay. I'll bite. What else have I done?

She was genuinely curious to see what her friend would come up with.

 **Shiho:** Well let's see. One day you sent around ten separate texts asking what type of outfit you should wear for an outing with her. Another day you mentioned how she fell asleep on your shoulder and you felt bad about waking her up.

Ann responded.

 **Ann:** So you're saying that I should dress like a slob and wake people up while they're sleeping?

Shiho's response soon followed.

 **Shiho:** Of course not. But for someone to worry about all of these things, plus other things, like how you mentioned how nice she smelled… those things start to add up, Ann.

Ann was still in denial. That wasn't weird for close friends to do, right?

At her silence, Shiho texted Ann again.

 **Shiho:** Think about it this way, Ann. You and I are best friends, and you don't talk like this about me with your other friends, do you?

That was true. Other than occasionally sharing progress on her physical therapy, as well mentioning some funny anecdotes that the girl had shared with her, Ann definitely did not talk about these types of things with the Phantom Thieves.

 **Ann:** I… think I see your point. So you're saying I have a crush on Makoto? And I didn't even know it?

 **Shiho:** I can't say for sure, but I think so. I mean, I thought you two had been dating for a while, and the actual conversation of you telling me definitively that you two were dating was just… glossed over.

Ann thought deeply. If this was true, she had been texting Shiho things like this for weeks. Had she really had a crush on Makoto for this long without even having an inkling of knowledge?

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Shiho was right. Ann had definitely taken a liking to the student council president. So, there was only one thing that she could do.

 **Ann:** Shiho. I think I'm gonna ask Makoto if she'd like to join us for that double-date. See how she takes it.

Ann grinned at her friend's response.

 **Shiho:** I believe in you, Ann! You're one of the bravest people I know. She'd be lucky to have you.

With her friend's encouragement giving her a boost, Ann quickly exited their text conversation and brought up a previous one with Makoto. Giggling slightly at how the previous conversation had ended (with Makoto wishing her a good night and Ann sending back winking emojis and hearts), Ann texted the girl.

 **Ann:** Hey, Makoto! Shiho's finally started dating that guy she was crushing on. Wanna double date with them?

She hit send, and then waited for a response. It was a Sunday afternoon, so she figured the older girl wouldn't be particularly busy at the moment.

A few minutes passed.

As Ann waited, she began to feel her nerves catch up with her. What if this was a one-sided thing? She didn't even know if Makoto liked girls in that way. The entirety of the Phantom Thieves was pretty accepting, so she wasn't worried about being shunned or banned from the group or anything. But it was still a pretty huge leap of faith to think that the other girl could feel the same.

Before Ann could completely freak out, she saw her phone had a new text message from Makoto.

 **Makoto:** That's good to hear, Ann. But what do you mean by a double-date? Don't we have to be dating for that to work?

Ann gulped.

 **Ann:** Ha ha. About that… would you like to go on a date with me, Makoto? Maybe even… be my girlfriend?

She almost screamed when she hit send, but at least now her true intentions were out in the open. Luckily, she didn't have to wait too long for a response.

 **Makoto:** I'd really like that, Ann. Truly.

Ann almost passed out. She couldn't believe it. But there was Makoto's response, plain as day. The model had to slap her cheeks slightly to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

 **Ann:** Really? I didn't think you'd be so… open to the idea.

 **Makoto:** I figured we might as well. Sis is already under the impression that we've been dating for weeks.

Ann blinked. So Makoto had been showing signs as well? Exactly how obvious had the two been?

 **Ann:** That's funny, Makoto. I just had a similar conversation with Shiho.

 **Makoto:** I know. Look at that text thread.

Ann wasn't quite sure what Makoto meant. How could she possibly know about that? But as she switched back over to her conversation with Shiho, she realized it hadn't just been with Shiho.

Looking at the people included in the conversation at the top of the screen, she saw two names.

Shiho and Makoto.

Ann practically choked as she blushed a furious shade of red. Makoto had seen that entire conversation! Replying on that thread instead, Ann furiously typed out a message.

 **Ann:** Shiho! You knew this whole time didn't you? You knew Makoto was in this conversation!

A message from Shiho popped up.

 **Shiho:** So you finally realized it, huh? I have to admit, it took some quick typing on my part to keep Makoto-senpai quiet. I'm surprised you didn't realize it sooner.

It was true. All three girls had grown somewhat close over time, so they had formed a text chain that included the three of them. How Ann how overlooked this was anyone's guess.

 **Makoto:** If I may. Ann, I would like you to know that I feel the same. Once Sis opened up my eyes, I realized that they only ever looked at you.

 **Ann:** Makoto… that was super cheesy.

 **Makoto:** Well… there went that moment.

 **Shiho:** You know, we still haven't picked a day and time for our double-date. I think it'll be quite interesting.

As the three girls joked, Ann smiled with the realization that she was now in a relationship with Makoto Niijima.

And she couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _And done! Hopefully you enjoyed. I wasn't originally planning to have Makoto even be a secret part of that conversation until the idea came to me as I wrote it._

 _Since this is the final one-shot, I'd like to add a more personal author's note to this post:_

 _I debated for a while whether or not this one should be the one for me to post on my birthday, but I ultimately decided on it. It was one of the easier stories to write, and it had one of my favorite characters in it. I thought it was just long enough, with a good balance of "dialogue" and description. All in all, I felt that this was my strongest one-shot (plus it had a happy ending), so that's why I decided that this should be the final one!_

 _Finally, I would like to give a shout-out to Skye Maxwell, who reviewed so many of these chapters. Thanks so much!_


End file.
